East Bengal is all set to lock horns with 5th-placed Punjab FC on Tuesday, but they will be without key midfielders Saul Crespo and Madih Talal. Adding to the concerns for head coach Oscar Bruzon, Jeakson Singh—who recently regained his form with a scorching goal against Chennaiyin FC—will also miss the clash after receiving a red card in their 2-1 loss against Odisha FC.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Oscar Bruzon acknowledged the challenges ahead. He said, “We are facing a challenging moment, but we’re dealing with it honestly. It’s important not to get emotional and to keep working to become one of the best teams in the ISL. The team is staying positive, working well, and adapting to different systems. Tomorrow’s match against strong rivals will test our resilience.”
Bruzon faces a midfield crisis in this precarious situation. Talal has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, while Saul is expected to be sidelined until the first week of January. With Jeakson also unavailable, the coach has limited options. He may deploy either defenders Hector Yuste or Anwar Ali in midfield alongside Souvik Chakraborty. While Hector has prior experience in midfield, Anwar, known for his ball-playing ability and clinical passing, could adjust to the role despite rarely playing there.
On a positive note, Dimitrios Diamantakos has recovered from the injury he sustained against Chennaiyin FC. However, it remains uncertain if he is ready to play the full 90 minutes. Coach Oscar may opt to pair David Lalhlansanga with Cleiton Silva in the attack to avoid risking Diamantakos unnecessarily.
Despite numerous injuries and concerns, East Bengal remains motivated to overcome the Punjab challenge. Goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill expressed the squad’s positive mindset during the news conference: “It’s unfortunate to lose some of our key players, but I think we are more motivated than ever. In such situations, you can either take it negatively or positively, and we’re choosing the positive approach. As a group, we are stronger, and we’ll give our best to get the desired result.”
When asked to evaluate Punjab FC, Bruzon praised their strengths. “They are in contention for the top six. They are highly effective in transitions and rarely lose possession,” he said. However, Bruzon is determined to stick to the plans his team has been following for the past two months.
“In such situations, I have two options: either stay awake at night overthinking and changing plans or stick to the approach we’ve been working on. Our players have chosen the second option—continuity in what we’ve been doing for the last two months.”
Bruzon urged his players to face the current challenges as a unit and show what East Bengal stands for. “This is a time for us to stay together and demonstrate the courage and determination that East Bengal is known for. Tomorrow, we’ll show it on the field. Tactically, Punjab isn’t better than us right now, but these are just words. We need to prove it through our performance.”
East Bengal’s resilience will be put to the test as they face Punjab FC, but the team is ready to rise to the occasion and fight for a crucial victory.