East Bengal to start all over again

Kolkata: Their winning juggernaut halted in an away match in the previous round, East Bengal will look to start all over again when they host Pune FC at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Saturday.

After six wins on the trot, East Bengal`s dream run came to an end as the Federation Cup and local league champions dropped points after being held by Mumbai FC in Kolhapur. Having beaten the Pune outfit in the Federation Cup, East Bengal have a psychological edge over the Derrick Pereira-coached side but, at the same time, niggles to their ace striker Tolgay Ozbey and midfielder Orji Penn will be a worrying factor ahead of the eighth round match. The Australian forward, who is second in the list of leading scorers with six goals, is down with stomach upset and did not train today. Morgan said Ozbey would be fit by tomorrow and Penn, despite an injury on his right leg, would take the field. Morgan would also get back the services of talented forward Robin Singh to partner Ozbey up front after having sat out against Mumbai FC due to double booking."We have to win tomorrow. Looking forward to a good match from the boys who have been doing quite well so far. There has been a lot of expectation from us. I am sure they will live up to the expectations tomorrow," Morgan said. Lying at the seventh spot in the standings, Pune FC have one win, five draws, one loss, and tomorrow`s match would see the return of their Brazilian striker Edmar Figuera after recovering from an injuy. Figuera`s return would definitely boost the morale of the side. "Facing East Bengal at their home turf is a tough challenge. We will be happy to return home with one point," said Pereira. PTI