Kolkata: Seeking to qualify for the main tournament for the second consecutive year, local heavyweights ATK Mohun Bagan will start as firm favourites against a depleted Blue Star SC of Sri Lanka in their AFC Cup Preliminary round two match at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Tuesday.
The Mariners qualified straight to the preliminary round two after finishing runners-up to Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League 2020-21.
Blue Star SC, on the other hand, defeated Nepal's Machhindra FC 2-1 in an away first preliminary round match to set up a clash against the Mariners.
Coached by Banda Samarakoon, the Islanders have come here with a young side without their regular captain Tharindu Erange (visa issues) and his deputy Lahiru Tharaka Silva (injury) and have just three foreigners in their lineup.
While Erange is their defensive mainstay, Silva is a vital cog in their midfield and both played in Blue Star's dominating show against the Nepalese outfit a week back.
"Our vice-captain sustained an injury recently and the captain could not get his visa. Also one of our foreign players is injured, and the striker also has some issues," coach Samarakoon said in the pre-match media interaction here.
"But Team Blue Star is confident to pull off a technically and tactically perfect match. We have our plans in place and we will take it as a challenge facing one of the strongest clubs of India." Their country hit by an ongoing economic crisis, the Sri Lankans have already suffered a setback as kits of some of their members went missing when they landed in Chennai only to be routed to Kolkata late on Monday.
Roy Krishna, Jhingan doubtful starters ATK Mohun Bagan, however, are likely to miss the services of key players -- Roy Krishna and Sandesh
Jhingan.