Kolkata: I League champions Mohun Bagan will have a mountain to climb in their next ACL qualifier Round 2 match against Chinese giants Shandong Luneng . The Chinese club, which is currently ranked 45 in AFC club ranking and have some big names in their squad. The Orange Fighters who finished third in the Chinese Super League have six foreigners in the side. The squad includes 5 Brazilians and 1 Argentine. Coached by Brazilian Mano Menezes the team boasts of Diego Tardelli who was in the Brazilian squad for 2015 Copa America squad.
Brazilians Jucilei and Junior Urso are midfielders along with Argentine Walter Montillo. Montillo substituted injured Messi in 2013 world cup qualifier against Colombia. He also made his first full appearance for the national team against Venezuela in same tournament. The Fighters also have a Brazilian defender Gil. The Chinese team boasts of a dangerous strike force consisting of Brazilian duo of Diego Tardelli and Aloisio.
Mohun Bagan who made history by defeating Tampines Rovers to become the first Indian club to win a ACL match under the new format will also have to counter the chilling cold temperature.
Meanwhile, The Mariners have left out Pritam Kotal and Pankaj Moula from the squad that will face DSK Shivajians on January 30 at Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune. Sideback Kotal has been left out of both the squads as he is struggling with his form recently. He is also having a slight injury. Avishek Das, Sarthok Golui came in place of Kotal and Moula for the I League match against Shivajians. While Keane Lewis, Pankaj Moula, Souvik Ghosh travelling to China to play the ACL qualifier Round 2. The 19 member team will leave for China from Mumbai late night.
The squad is as follows: Luciano Sobrosa, Kinshuk Debnath, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Katsumi Yusa, Pronay Halder, Cornell Glen, Sony Norde, Souvik Chakraborty, Debjit Majumdar, Raju Gaikwad, Lalkamal Bhowmick, Sanjay Balmuchu, Abhishek Das, Shilton Paul, Prabir Das, Brandon Fernandes, Sarthak Golui and Dhanachandra Singh.
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