Kolkata: Virtually out of contention for the next round, East Bengal will try out their bench strength when they face Balestier Khalsa FC of Singapore in their group F fixture of the AFC Cup football tournament at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan here on Tuesday.
East Bengal’s I-League campaign has finally got back on track with six points from two matches in Pune and coach Eelco Schattorie does not want put that extra burden on the team in the AFC tournament.
With clear priority on I-League where they lie on fifth and have a lot to catch up their rivals and top placed Mohun Bagan, the Dutchman sees the AFC Cup outing an opportunity to test his team’s bench.
“We only have a day’s rest and looking at the AFC Cup table, we have only one point from three games. I don’t think we will be able to qualify… Now I have the chance to see the players who are on the bench,” Schattorie said on the eve of their match.
“For tomorrow, I will rest all my first team players and play with the guys who have not yet had a chance. I will try and motivate them that this is their chance to show me what they have got.”
But that does not mean that the bottom placed East Bengal will give it easy for the Singaporean outfit who won the first leg 2-1.
“Our target will be to win. We have a small chance to advance to the next round but the reserve players can shine now. It’s a perfect moment to motivate them and get all three points,” he said.
In the absence of Ranti Martins and Dudu Omagbemi, Baldeep Singh and Baljit Singh are likely to start upfront. East Bangal were held 1-1 in their last AFC Cup outing against Kitchee at this venue and they would look to keep their slate clean at home.
Third placed Balestier, on the other hand, will look to go for full points to keep themselves afloat for the knockout round.
“We have a full squad available. Three foreigners have travelled with the team — two Croatians and one Serbian. We have not done the calculations and will focus on attacking and getting a win. We have still hopes of progressing. This is why, we need three points and not much choice left,” coach Kraljevic said. (PTI)
