East Bengal players that are set to miss against Hyderabad FC

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After winning their first trophy in 12 years, East Bengal came back to the second half of the ISL 2023-24 season with newfound hope. However, it doesn't seem to be going so well for the Red and Gold Brigade.

They not only have a number of players who are out with injuries, but they also have a number of players who are serving suspensions. More cards were added to the list during their most recent match against Mumbai City FC.

Maher Hijazi, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Lalchungnunga received yellow cards during their match against Mumbai City FC. It brought Hijazi’s yellow card tally to three. However, Naorem and Lalchungnunga now have four yellow cards which will lead to suspension.

Hence, both of them will miss the match against Hyderabad on February 17. Souvik Chakraborty came back to help the midfield in the Mumbai match after serving suspensions in their previous two matches. On the other hand, captain Cleiton Silva was serving a suspension in this match.

Cleiton should come back for the next match. However, East Bengal will miss Saul Crespo and Jose Pardo for the match. Crespo’s injury is quite serious. He may not be out for the entire season, but it's doubtful that he will be back for the match against Hyderabad.

Pardo picked up an injury in their match against NorthEast United. He missed the match against Mumbai and remains a doubt for their next match. East Bengal’s midfield is struggling which is leading to fewer opportunities in the final third.

The coach gave newcomer Felicio Brown Forbes his first start for their side against Mumbai. On the other hand, the coach is starting Victor Vazquez off the bench, gradually giving him more playing time while watching over his fitness.

Even though the match will be against the bottom-dwellers Hyderabad FC, the absence of these many players is surely going to cause problems for coach Cuadrat. Especially considering, they are in desperate need of improving their position in the Indian Super League table.