Mohun Bagan will look to salvage some pride as they take on Al Karama of Syria in their concluding AFC Cup tie at Howrah Corporation Stadium on Tuesday.

But according to Mohun Bagan coach Karim Bencherifa, it would be tough to take on the Syrian club without Bhaichung Bhutia.

“It’s unfortunate and it will be tough for us. It’s like losing a very important player ahead of a match. But we have to deal with the situation. The players are professional and they know how to tackle such a situation,” Bencherifa said after team’s practice on the match eve.

Apart from Bhutia, Bagan will also miss defender Dipak Mondal and J Anandavasan, and midfielder Marcos Pereira. Jose Barreto is likely to play as single striker with five midfielders supporting him.

Bagan so far have lost all their matches in the AFC Cup. They have conceded 11 goals in their last two outings. Still, Bencherifa believes that the boys will put up a spirited show tomorrow.

“I have told them to play for pride and enjoy the game. We had a very good game in their lair in the first leg. Hopefully, we will do better at home,” he said.

But the biggest challenge for the green-and-maroons appears to be getting the motivation going, especially after the Bhutia fiasco. The incident hasn’t gone down well with Bhutia’s team-mates.

Al Karama coach Mohammed Kwid, however, doesn’t want to take Bagan lightly. “They played very well in the first leg. Players like Bhutia, Marcos Pereira and Lalkamal Bhowmick were very impressive. Moreover, they have a tactical coach at the helm. We have to keep a close watch on all of them,” he said.

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