Kolkata: With ace striker Edeh Chidi uncertain and Deepak Mondal out of action due to suspension, Mohun Bagan will face stiff challenge when they take on Salgaocar in a I-League round 20 encounter at Yuba Bharati
Krirangan on Saturday.
With a new coach in Biswajit Bhattacharjee -- their third this season -- Mohun Bagan will also be up against their former coach Karim Bencherifa, who will try to score on a personal front by giving Salgaocar the full points.
Having parted ways with their Moroccan coach Bencherifa, Mohun Bagan struggled under Satyajit Chatterjee and suffered two upsets at the hands of bottom-placed teams Sporting Club de Goa and Lajong FC that resulted in the coach's exit.
Under Bhattacharjee, Mohun Bagan, lying on seventh place, will look to start afresh and improve on their standings.
Mohun Bagan's Nigerian recruit Chidi has a recurrence of his thigh muscle injury but the coach has not ruled him out.
"We will take a final call tomorrow," said Bhattacharjee.
In the central defence, Mondal will have to sit out because of a double booking.
Under Bencherifa, Salgaocar have been able to lift their fortunes with victories over heavyweights Dempo and East Bengal.
But in their last match Salgocar went down to Sporting Clube de Goa and the coach will look to bounce back from their last round's loss.
"I have some happy memories here and we will look for at least a point against a formidable opponents in Mohun Bagan," Bencherifa said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, April 09, 2010, 17:52