I-League 2017, East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan: 5 stars who could miss out on the Kolkata Derby

Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are tottering at the mid-position on the I-league 2017 points table. Granted they have just played one game in the competition, but both of them were successfully blocked from romping home with the maximum points on offer.

That too, after both the teams were leading - Mohun Bagan with one and East Bengal with two goals - against Minerva Punjab FC and Aizwal FC, respectively before they each had to settle for a draw.

One can say East Bengal are relatively better off between the two as they drew with last year’s champions. Still one really doesn’t’ expect the teams to take any prisoners.

And in order to do that, it is essential for the two sides to field their best players. However, not all the stars in the two Kolkata giants' side are set to play this crunch game. Here, we take a look at five such players, who could miss out on the biggest match in the Indian football calendar.

Diogo Ferreira | Mohun Bagan | Midfielder

One can understand the importance of an import when the team misses a player even before he has been tested for his services. One can very well understand it when one will know that Ferreira was absorbed into the FC Porto’s youth team on his first try.

This 5’ 11” defensive midfielder, who has appeared in the Australian Olympic team seven times and is Mohun Bagan’s fourth foreign signee. However, he has been ruled out due to an injury, will be greatly missed if East Bengal resort to the last game’s pressing play. Sadly, is is yet to play an I-League game for the Green and Maroons, and will miss out on his first Derby experience as well.