Having struck a brace in their stunning 3-2 win against the same opponents in the ISL opener, the Portuguese World Cupper had returned Spain to treat his hamstring injury. In his absence, ATK struggled to get their combination right.
Ahead of their four-match home leg to conclude the league stage, Postiga's joining the squad gives a massive boost to the side, which is on a two-match losing streak at home.
The former CA Osasuna and SD Eibar forward has joined the side in place of Josemi and the tall forward may start tomorrow.
"Playing in India will be a big experience and I'm looking forward to play a part and adapt to the conditions here. I know a couple of players here so it will help," Lekic, a former teammate of Borja Fernandez and Javier Lara at Eibar, said.
ATK have suffered defeats against Delhi Dynamos and NorthEast United FC in their last two home matches. But still they have managed to keep themselves afloat by occupying the fourth place in the table with a win in Kerala and a draw.
Another area of concern for Habas would be to plug their defence, which has conceded in all of their 10 matches and there will be a fresh challenge for the backline to hold the likes of Elano Blumer and Stiven Mendoza.
Tied with Sunil Chhetri for the Golden Boot armband, the Colombian forward Mendoza will be itching to get his nose ahead of India's top scorer of all time.
Freekick 'master' Blumer has done a substantial amount of justice to his playmaker role and leads the assists chart with four, and the seasoned Brazilian also has four goals to his tally.
The midfielder's knack of reading the game will be an imminent threat to the opponents.
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
