Defending champions Atletico de Kolkata (ATK)'s Arnab Mondal on Thursday almost ruled out the possibility of his teammate and defensive partner Josemi being available for the Indian Super League (ISL) opener against Chennaiyin FC.
The 35-year-old, who was instrumental in ATK's success last year, suffered a knee-injury and the management perhaps won't risk aggravating it.
"It is a big blow for us, he played a major role last year for us. Hopefully he will be cheering and leading us from the sidelines," Mondal told reporters here.
For the last few days ATK's biggest concern has been their practice ground. The Salt Lake stadium would not be ready before October 8 and Atletico had to practice in the Mohun Bagan club ground.
On Thursday they trained at the artificial turf in Barasat stadium.
Mondal said the shifting of practice venues has hampered their training.
"It has hampered our training but all I can say is that we are confident of doing well, and since they are the home side pressure to perform will be on them," he said.
The outfit will leave for Chennai on Friday morning.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
