East Bengal are fretting over defender Anwar Ali’s fitness ahead of Saturday’s ISL-XI derby against Mohun Bagan Super Giant to be held in Guwahati.

Anwar picked up an injury on his right ankle during the Mumbai City match on January 6 and coach Oscar Bruzon said he would wait until the match-day on the defender.

“It’s a 50:50 situation now. Let’s see how it goes,” Bruzon said at the news conference
on Thursday.

Anwar did not attend Thursday’s training session at the Centre of Excellence in Rajarhat.

“If he does not make the cut we have Plan B ready,” Bruzon said.

Anwar missed the Asian Cup last year due to a stress fracture on his right ankle. At that time he was with Mohun Bagan Super Giant and sustained the injury during an AFC Cup match in October 2023 against Bashundhara Kings coached by Bruzon.

However, there is good news for the red and gold camp. New signing Venezuelan Richard Celis is expected to join the team on Friday in Guwahati.

If the coach feels he will be in the squad too.

Bruzon’s compatriot and Bagan counterpart Jose Molina is grappling with injuries too. Ashique Kuruniyan is already out and Anirudh Thapa, who picked up a hamstring injury on Wednesday, will not be in action for at least the next 10 days.

In the points table Bagan are in the pole position, while East Bengal stand at 11th in the 13-team league. Bruzon though did not buy the fact that his boys would start as underdogs at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.

“In matches like these, there are no underdogs. Football always has two sides, we have attack and defence. We need to understand what their strengths and weaknesses are. We are ready for the derby. And the setbacks in the last two matches have not affected our morale.”