-Rahul Giri in Kolkata
Since Oscar Bruzon took charge at East Bengal, injuries have been a constant headache. In almost every game, the Spanish head coach has had to redraw strategy. At times, he has even been forced to deploy players in unfamiliar positions.
The situation has become even more precarious following injury blows to two key foreigners — Hijazi Maher and Cleiton Silva. Hijazi, the defender, reportedly twisted his knee during training on Tuesday, while the striker suffered a groin injury during the last match against Kerala Blasters.
Both players will miss East Bengal’s upcoming fixture against Mumbai City FC on Friday. The length of their absence remains unclear.
“Strategically, I need to rethink what we can do in every game,” Bruzon lamented at the press conference before the next match in Mumbai. “I have to adjust to the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent, as well as the capabilities of the resources we have each week — which are constantly changing. I like to play with one or two systems in a season, but we’ve already used four different formations.”
During Wednesday’s press conference, the first question to Bruzon was about the severity of the injuries. According to the Spaniard, East Bengal’s management is still awaiting a full assessment, but he remains hopeful that clarity will come soon after the medical tests.
“Currently, we are assessing the injuries of the players. We want to understand the nature of the injuries, how severe they are, the recovery timeline, and the impact they will have on the team,” said Bruzon.
East Bengal’s ISL playoff hopes have taken a massive hit, because of the growing injury list. At the moment, only three foreign players — Richard Celis, Dimitrios Diamantakos and Hector Yuste — are available for selection.
With the AFC Challenge Cup quarter-finals approaching in March, the team must also assess whether Hijazi and Cleiton can recover in time or if the club needs replacements. Oscar believes the management will make the best decision after a full evaluation of their injuries.
“The club management is assessing the situation, the impact of these injuries, and will take the necessary steps to ensure the team is at the best possible level, keeping in mind we have the AFC competition in March,” he said.
To make matters worse, four more players — Saul Crespo, Mohammed Rakip, Provat Lakra and Anwar Ali — are still recovering. However, the coach dismissed concerns that these injuries were linked to fitness issues.
“What we can say is that these injuries are not related to conditioning or lack of fitness. We are just having an unfortunate season. Most of these injuries are due to trauma, in-game incidents, or pre-existing issues,” he explained.
Despite the challenges, Bruzon remains optimistic. He believes that focusing too much on injuries and setbacks will only make the team weaker. Instead, he wants the players to show resilience, hunger and determination — qualities that have always defined East Bengal’s ability to overcome difficulties.
“If we have that resilience, we can finish the season in the best possible way. After three days of practice, our team is looking sharp and ready to compete against Mumbai,” he concluded. East Bengal are 11th in the 13-team league with 17 points from as many games. Mumbai City are sixth with 27 from 17.
Also Read: Coach Chernyshov’s exit deepens crisis at Mohammedan Sporting