Tomorrow, East Bengal FC will host their next home fixture against Chennaiyin FC in the ongoing Indian Super League, at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, kicking off at 7:30 PM. Both teams currently stand at 18 points in the league table. East Bengal FC sits in 10th place with 18 matches played, while Chennaiyin FC is in 11th, having played one more match than their opponent.

Currently, the Red and Gold brigade is struggling with injury concerns. Hijazi Maher has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to knee injury. Richard Celis is not match-fit and trained separately before matchday.

Oscar Bruzon stated that Cleiton Silva will need more time to regain match fitness, though Saul Crespo has joined team training. Meanwhile, their newly signed former Kerala Blasters FC striker, Messi Bouli, arrived on Friday afternoon. However, since he did not train with the team in the matchday-minus-one session, it can be assumed that he won’t be part of the squad for tomorrow’s game.

On the other hand, Owen Coyle’s Chennaiyin FC also struggled for their top-six spot. They lost their previous match against Kerala Blasters FC, during which Wilmar Gil received a red card. However, after an appeal by the club, it was reduced to a yellow card. So, it’s going to be a hard-fought battle as both teams’ top-six flames are still blinking.

KEY FIGURE ON THE FIELD:

Chennaiyin FC’s Connor Shields has created 65 goal-scoring chances this season, matching Greg Stewart’s ISL record (2021-22). With eight assists, he’s three away from setting a new season record. He also averages 21 passes per game at 76% accuracy. East Bengal FC’s PV Vishnu has netted three opening goals this season, the joint-most among Indian players. He scored the opener in their 2-0 win over Chennaiyin FC and has four goals and one assist overall.

COACH’S VIEW:

East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon keeps the top-six dream alive!

Oscar said “Super Six is still a dream, but it’s achievable. It’s not impossible, though it’s difficult, especially after losing the first six matches. However, we still have six games left, and our next focus is the match against Chennaiyin FC”, also added Tomorrow, “we have a very strong opponent, their coach is a very experienced coach, a complete team, but we also think that if we keep our progression, tomorrow’s game should be on point.”

Chennaiyin head coach Owen Coyle trusts his squad and eyes victory in tomorrow’s clash!

We have talented players who can help us win games. It’s crucial to finish the season strong, starting with tomorrow’s match against East Bengal FC,” he said.