"Disappointed but not worried," Mohun Bagan coach Juan Ferrando on missing Anwar Ali

Mohun Bagan Super Giant start defender had to carried away in a stretcher after the AFC Cup game against Bashundhara Kings last week. Anwar looked like having an ankle injury that looked like would keep him out of the team for at least three months. However, Juan Ferrando is not worried about that at all. He feels Mohun Bagan Super Giant has enough depth to replace Anwar Ali at the heart of defence.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant, currently at number 3 on the Indian Spuer League points table would be looking to rise up to Number 1 if they can get full points against Jamshedpur on Wednesday.

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Coach Juan Ferrando feels it would be a tough game against Jamshedpur FC on their home turf and they would have to do a a better job than what they did against Bashundhara FC in the AFC Cup 2023.

"I think it's necessary to control two details (against Jamshedpur). If you forget about last season, they are very clear in their attacking and defensive styles. They are former ISL champions, and they create a lot of chances. They work in the build-up, they fight for the second ball and for me it'll be a tough match because in defense they are very aggressive and a very compact team," Ferrando told in the pre-match press conference in Kolkata.

"They play a certain way where it's difficult to beat them. They are very compact, so we need to be ready and smart in controlling spaces as well as finding the right moments to attack the spaces. We need to do a better job in the next match than we did against Bashundhara," Juan added.

"But the present is the most important for me, which is the Jamshedpur match and we'll try to get the three points in that and then prepare for the next match. The AFC Cup matches are very difficult as we face very good teams at the international level. But all the results in ISL are very close apart from one or two games, most matches are won 1-0, 2-1 or are draws. So we have to prepare strongly and be aware of the details against Jamshedpur," Ferrando expressed on being asked about what they need to do better against Jamshedpur FC.

Talking about Anwar Ali's injury and finding a perfect replacement of the Indian defender, Juan said, "It's difficult to tell for how long he'll be out for. He's had an inflammation in his leg, we'll do scans and decide on the injury and its recovery process. We can't say if he's out for a month or two. We need time to check his knock step by step."

"When it comes to his replacement, I'm not afraid of not having him. We have Deepak Tangri and Sumit Rathi, two Indian centre-backs, who can replace him. I'm not afraid of this situation, everyone is ready and knows that we have 9-10 months of competition ahead. The opportunity will come for everyone. We are disappointed with Anwar and Ashique's injuries, but at the same moment, I know that others will be ready to step up and help the team," he went on to add.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant will face Jamshedpur FC on Wednesday from 8pm at JRD Tata Sports Complex.