Borja Fernandez

Calcutta: Tiding over a tough phase, Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) are upbeat about beating Kerala Blasters in Saturday’s championship tie and lift the inaugural Hero Indian Super League title.

The occasion will also be a special one for ATK as Miguel Angel Gil Marin, CEO of their co-owners Atletico de Madrid, is expected to be present at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai to witness the grand finale. Sources informed that there is a possibility that Atletico midfielder Koke may also be present.

“There is a possibility of Koke coming to watch the final. It’s not yet confirmed, though,” said a source, adding: “Koke was booked during the closing stages of Atletico’s previous match (against Villareal) in La Liga, which means Diego Simeone won’t be able to field him in their next match, against Athletic Bilbao.

“So, it won’t be too surprising if he pays a visit to the final since he’s not playing the Bilbao game.”

But notwithstanding such star support, ATK have their set of problems to deal with. After Fikru Teferra, there are now concerns over their marquee player and captain Luis Garcia.

Fikru, however, no longer remains as a headache for the team as he has been released by the team management due to the Grade I tear in his hamstring. A statement issued by the franchise late on Thursday evening said: “Striker Fikru Teferra has been released by the team management as he has a Grade I tear in his hamstring and would be returning to South Africa for further treatment.

“The team management would like to thank Fikru for his contribution and wish him a speedy recovery. The team management also wishes him on becoming a proud father of a baby girl just few days back. He needs to be there with his wife and daughter to celebrate this moment of happiness.”

Fikru had also missed the Wednesday’s second-leg semi-final versus FC Goa, watching the game from the stands, in Margao. In addition, he had got into the red books of the team for his below-par performances of late and questionable attitude.

“In Fikru’s case, most of the people are not very happy with his performance of late and his attitude. So, it will be interesting to see if he’s at all seen in ATK colours next season,” an insider said.

Talking of Garcia, the Spaniard left the field in the 60th minute on Wednesday having pulled his hamstring yet again. His injury created quite a few problems for both the player and his team, but it goes without saying that even a half-fit Garcia’s presence would mean a lot to Antonio Lopez Habas and Co.

At the moment, though, the team management are keeping their fingers crossed on whether Garcia will be available for the final or not. “We have to see how he turns up in Friday’s practice session. We can assess his condition only during practice as that will help us get a clearer picture,” said stopper-back Arnab Mondal.

No one can deny the crucial role that Garcia plays, but ATK's fortunes rely to a fair extent on how Borja Fernandez fares. It has been seen in the previous matches that Borja doing his job to perfection has helped ATK's cause.

Not just playing a pivotal role in the midfield and cancelling the opponents’ moves, but making use of the set pieces too is Borja's forte.

No matter which XI Habas fields on Saturday, players are confident that the job will not at all be easy for David James and his men. “We did quite well against Goa. All that is needed now is to put in a little more. If we do so, I believe we certainly can win the trophy… It’s not at all impossible,” Arnab emphasised.