When things were finally falling into place for East Bengal in the ISL, the club suffered a massive blow. Having returned from Chennai with their first away win of the season and three consecutive clean sheets – a first in their ISL history – East Bengal now face a serious setback due to injuries to two key players, Dimitrios Diamantakos and Saul Crespo.
Both players were subbed off during the game against Chennaiyin FC after feeling discomfort on the pitch. Scans conducted on Monday revealed that Saul Crespo has sustained a hamstring pull, ruling him out for a month. This means he will miss crucial games in December and is also likely to be absent for the highly anticipated Kolkata derby against Mohun Bagan in January.
The situation is worse as Diamantakos, their Greek forward, is set to miss the upcoming game against Odisha FC due to a groin injury, an issue he has struggled with previously. His availability for the match against Punjab FC remains uncertain. Diamantakos had been in sensational form recently, contributing six goals and one assist in his last six matches for the Red-and-Gold brigade. In his absence, Cleiton Silva, though not in his prime, will need to step up and ensure the team doesn’t feel the absence of their in-form striker.
The absence of Crespo, team captain and midfield stalwart, leaves an even bigger void. Head coach Oscar Bruzon will have to rely on Indian midfielders Souvik Chakrabarti and Jeakson Singh to shoulder the midfield responsibilities. Bruzon has previously highlighted the importance of December in determining East Bengal’s top-six aspirations. The team have three consecutive home games – against Odisha FC (December 12), Punjab FC (December 17) and Jamshedpur FC (December 21) – before traveling to Hyderabad to face the Nizams on December 28.
East Bengal must capitalise on their home advantage in these critical fixtures if they hope to improve their position on the table. However, playing without both Crespo for a month and Diamantakos for at least two matches will be a tough challenge. Notably, East Bengal struggled in a similar situation last season when Crespo missed all of February due to injury, managing only two wins from six games during that period.
Just as East Bengal’s fortunes seemed to be turning, these two injuries have struck at a pivotal phase. The question now is whether Bruzon can rally his team to overcome these challenges and guide them through this difficult period. So far, he has demonstrated remarkable resilience and tactical acumen, passing every test with grit. Now, tougher trials await the Spanish coach as he looks to keep East Bengal’s playoff hopes alive.
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