Calcutta: Three days after splitting points in the 10th National Football League (NFL) for the ONGC Cup, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan will be back in action on Wednesday in a double-header at the Salt Lake Stadium. East Bengal will kick off the evening with a duel against Goan outfit Fransa, followed by Mohun Bagan’s clash against JCT.

East Bengal, with five points from three games, will again have to do without the services of Alvito D’ Cunha, R.C. Prakash and K. Kulothungan.

The good news for coach Phillipe De Ridder is that Bhaichung Bhutia and Mike Okoro are recovering well. Both played in the Sunday derby despite carrying injuries.

The Belgian, disappointed at missing out full points versus Mohun Bagan, is hopeful that Wednesday will bring better luck. “We need to capitalise on our home advantage if we want to win the NFL,” said De Ridder. He also reiterated the fact that every match in the league is a derby for him.

Fransa, on the other hand, are out to snatch a point. Coach Norbert Gonsalves made it clear that he would be more than happy if they managed a draw with East Bengal.

For, Fransa, with two points from as many games, Sydney Nkalanga holds the key. The South African striker will have a point to prove, having been rejected by East Bengal before the start of the NFL.