Calcutta: Overtaken by Bengaluru FC after their win over Aizawl FC, East Bengal must secure full points against Salgaocar in Tuesday's I-League clash at the Tilak Maidan, in Vasco.

Placed third in the standings, a win for East Bengal will not just help them move up to No.2, but also create pressure on table-toppers Mohun Bagan who clash agianst Sporting Clube de Goa in the other game on Tuesday, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao.

The way Bagan have been playing, it seems unlikely that they will lose points against Clube. Of course, if Okolie Odafa fires, the situation may undergo drastic change.

"We have to be cautious and need to restrict him from scoring. In our previous meeting at Barasat, he couldn't do much, thanks to Luciano (Sabrosa)," said coach Sanjay Sen, who won't be attending Thursday's AIFF disciplinary committee meeting, citing sickness.

There should be some relief for Bagan as Luciano is set to be back in the XI.

But that said, beating Goan teams at their backyard is never an easy job. So, should East Bengal, who play from half-past four in the evening, beat Salgaocar, they will take their points tally to 20.

Now, by the time Bagan's match begins, at 7pm, they will know whether their arch-rivals have won three points or not.

That would reduce the difference between them and may add to Bagan's pressure of maintaining their top spot.

For East Bengal, they have not messed up since losing to Bengaluru FC. They were on the verge of losing points in their last appearance of the tournament's first phase, against Salgaocar, before Bello Rasaq won them the match with a fine header.

The good news for East Bengal is that seasoned medio Harmanjyot Singh Khabra is set to be back to bolster the squad. Side-back Saumik Dey may be rested, as Narayan Das could come in his place. Coach Biswajit Bhattacharya may also bring in Samad Ali as a replacement for Rahul Bheke, who has been struggling a bit lately.

Whether Do Dong Hyun will be in the squad or not remains uncertain.

Bhattacharya, however, reminded his wards not to take Salgaocar lightly at all. "Though we won the match against Salgaocar at home, there is no question of taking Salgaocar lightly.

"Salgaocar may not have played well against Mohun Bagan, but they will be desperate to bounce back. So, we will have to be careful," Bhattacharya said.

The coach also agreed that his team has to be alert about opposition striker Darryl Duffy. The playing surface is a bit of worry as well for East Bengal.

"Tilak Maidan is a small ground and the playing surface is also not ideal for good football," said Bhattacharya.

Bagan, on the other hand, are determined to extend their unbeaten streak. "At this stage, we can't afford to lose points. We must win," said Sen.

So far, they have won six and drawn three matches.