Calcutta: East Bengal will miss the injured Asim Biswas, Majek Bolaji, Meherajuddin Wadao and Edmilson Marques in their crucial Round XVI outing against Churchill Brothers at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday.

A draw will help the Calcutta giants (15 points from as many games) brighten their chances of avoiding relegation while a victory for Churchill will place them at the top of the board with leaders Dempo.

Under the circumstances, East Bengal coach Manoranjan Bhattacharjee is expected to field Syed Rahim Nabi upfront.

“A win will obviously be of great relief... It will almost help us overcome the relegation threat. But I would like my boys to play according to the situation. We will aim for one point ,” Bhattacharjee said after Saturday’s practice.

“Churchill are a good side. They have played well throughout and are in good form. We need to be cautious on Sunday,” the coach added.

Churchill Brothers coach Karim Bencherifa said they would go all out for a win. “We need the three points desperately to stay in the championship race,’ he said.

“We are taking East Bengal seriously. Though they haven’t played that well in the league they are capable of upsetting any team any time,” he added. Karim is expected to field the same team that played against Viva Kerala last week.