Bhaichung is a doubtful starter

Panaji: Title contenders East Bengal face an acid test on Sunday against Salgaocar in their quest for the 10th ONGC National Football League title.

East Bengal, who are placed second with 28 points from 14 matches, need to win both their encounters against Salgaocar and Sporting Clube de Goa to stay in contention for the title.

But they will be missing four key players for the clash at Nehru Stadium, Margao. Midfielders ? Jayanta Sen and Guy Ndem ? are out with double bookings while Gouranga Dutta and Syed Rahim Nabi will miss the game due to injuries.

To add to their woes, skipper Bhaichung Bhutia also injured his neck during the match against Air India and is a doubtful starter.

The Calcutta outfit, which has struggled to find form in their last match, needs to be more focus against Salgaocar who have a good record against them.

Despite conceding the lead in the points table to Mahindra United, East Bengal coach Phillipe de Ridder said he will take one match at a time.

“I know it will be challenging to play against Salgaocar at their home, but we have enough ammunition to face them,” he said.

Salgaocar are at the bottom with eight points from 12 matches and need to win all their remaining four matches to avoid relegation.