KOLKATA, April 30 (PTI): With their misery showing no signs of relenting, a depleted Mohun Bagan will be up for another challenge when they face a rejuvenated Air India at home in their round 24 return-leg I-League 4 fixture at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan here tomorrow.
Their most formidable striker Jose Barreto is ruled out for the remainder of the season. The same is the case for another forward Ashim Biswas and national defender Deepak Mondal.
Nigerian striker Edeh Chidi, who did not play Bagan�s last match due to suspension, is also a doubtful starter.
In such a scenario, Mohun Bagan is likely to field the same team that lost to ONGC in the previous match, their seventh this season and third in the last five games.
Against ONGC, Mohun Bagan were leading before succumbing to a Kailash Patil brace at the business end of the to slip to the seventh position (27 points from 22 matches) in the 14-team table.
It was little surprising that their humiliating 1-2 loss to ONGC earned the wrath of the fans, who hurled stones at the players and damaged the car of skipper Ishfaq Ahmed.
It will be a formality of sorts for the depleted side to go through the remaining rounds with minimum casualty.
Like in the previous match, Subair Muritala Ali will be the lone striker upfront with Manish Mathani operating from behind.
Snehashish Chakraborty would start as the left out once again and would be hoping to loop in some dangerous balls for his strikers and poaching midfielders to work upon.
Technical director Subhash Bhowmick, however, did not lament on the injury woes.
�Injuries are part and parcel of modern-day football. You just cannot sit back and lament. We still have four matches left and we intend to win all of them,� the veteran said after the practice session today.
The Airmen, on the other hand, may be languishing at the 12th spot with 21 points from 23 matches but they are equally capable of causing a ONGC-like upset.
