Nothing seems to be going right for Mohun Bagan Super Giant in Indian Super League’s first Kolkata Derby of the season. After conceding early, the Mariners lost their best defender Anwar Ali to a hamstring injury. Anwar, who was out of the AFC Asian Cup with an injury, returned to training ahead of the match. However, he suffered the injury during an East Bengal attack and could not carry on.
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The return of Anwar was a huge boost for the Mariners ahead of the high profile match. The defender was missed dearly in the AFC Asian Cup. However, with FIFA World Cup qualifiers coming up, the return boosted India’s chances in the qualifiers.
Nonetheless, Anwar lasted less than 10 minutes on his return to the field. He held on to his hamstring during an attack of East Bengal. Although he was attended to by the Mariners staff and returned to the field, he went off soon, with Amandeep Singh replacing him.
Indian coach Igor Stimac will be filled with worry to see Anwar leaving the field, specially with another central defender Sandesh Jhingan leaving also out with an injury. Although the extent of the injury is not yet known, hamstring injuries are generally a lengthy affair.
