The striker suffers injury above right knee
Kolkata: Mohun Bagan received a blow ahead of I League on Tuesday. Bagan’s star striker Balwant Singh suffered an injury in his right knee during practice in the morning. The striker collided with one of the Bagan reserve goalkeeper Shiving Raj while trying to score from a set piece practice. The striker looked in agony and soon was seen lying on the ground holding his right knee. Soon, all the Mohun Bagan players rushed at him. After applying ice pack for a few minutes he was seen limping off the ground.
Balwant had to miss the better part of the last year owing to a hamstring injury. The striker was regaining full fitness and looked in line for a place in the eleven in the I League opener against Chirchill Brothers. Today also Bagan coach Sanjay Sen was seen spending a lot of time with both his strikers Balwant and Duffy. With Norde still not certain when he will arrive and Jeje yet to join the practice, the gaffer was trying to get a combination going between the Scottish striker and Balwant. He also played both of them together in the practice match yesterday.
The injury to Balwant will no doubt raise some eye brows in the Mariners dressing room. Later coach Sanjay Sen told reporters that, “I had a word with him in the dressing room. At first glance it doesn’t seem too deep or serious. But I’m not a doctor. He will be taken to a doctor for a MRI. We can only know about the extent of injury after getting his MRI report.”
The striker was taken for a MRI later in the day.
According to reports the injury of Balwant is not too serious and he will be available in Mohun Bagan’s first match against Churchill Brothers.