Budiram Tudu A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: East Bengal, these days, deal in bandages and plasters. With almost half-a-dozen players already out with injuries, the problem worsened Wednesday during their 1-0 victory against Kalighat Club in a CFL Premier Division match at the Salt Lake Stadium.

A weakened East Bengal, gasping for players in almost all positions, were dealt body blows as strikers Budiram Tudu and Abel Hammond, victims of some rough tackling by Kalighat, were injured Wednesday. And according to a worried Phillippe de Ridder, it’s pretty serious.

The red and gold brigade began on the right note striking gold as early as in the eighth minute. A low cross from the right by Hammond was slotted home by the ever-busy Tudu.

Hammond wasted two easy chances soon after, in the 10th and the 13th minute. On the first occasion, he shot straight to the goalkeeper, while on the second, his shot beat the ’keeper but missed the far post.

However, in the 27th minute, East Bengal were robbed of their sheen when a limping Tudu had to be pulled out. And then, in the 39th minute, the other frontman Hammond walked out with injury.

With hardly any option left with him, De Ridder pushed Saheb Ali Gharami, a defender, upfront. Gharami, in fact, messed up one of the easiest of the chances in the 78th minute when he volleyed wide with only the goalkeeper at his mercy.

Also, Harmanjot Singh Khabra’s 79th minute header off an Alvito D’Cunha corner hit the vertical.

Kalighat’s only attempt was in the 39th minute when a Kunal Ghosh free-kick hit the post.

East Bengal will also be missing left-back Saikat Saha Roy in their next match (against Chirag United on Saturday) as his two yellows earned him a red in the dyning minutes.

TEAMS

East Bengal: Abhra Mondal, Santu Das, Saheb ali Gharami, Uga Okpara, Saikat Saha Roy, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, C. Malsawmkima (Alvito D’Cunha, 52nd), Mumtaz Akhtar, B. Beikhokhei, Budiram Tudu (Poibang Poshna, 27th), Abel Hammond (Riston Rodrigues, 39th)

Kalighat Club: Ranajit Mazumdar, Partha Mitra (Ranjit Oraon, 60th), Subrata Saha, Bijoy Chakraborty, Raju Oraon (Swapan Chanda, 77th), Sukumar Roy, Sukuruddin Laskar, Kunal Ghosh, Akenseli Olagoke, Vikram Ghosh (Joydeb Chakraborty, 52nd), Ikoruha Christian

Referee: Sambhunath Sahu

MoM: Kunal Ghosh