Lots of matches: Problems Mohun Bagan might face this season

Mohun Bagan will have to play seven matches in 27 days in December.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant are flying high on momentum at the start of the 2023-24 season. Fresh off winning the Durand Cup, they’re on a nine-game winning streak and have lost just one game across all competitions.

Despite their current dominance, the Mariners are well aware of the looming threat that lies on the horizon. The Mariners just have two matches to play in October, which includes their Indian Super League (ISL) game against Chennaiyin FC on October 7 and one AFC Cup match against Bashundhara Kings – which will be held in Bhubaneswar.

But the real challenge for Juan Ferrando’s side will kickstart from November onwards. The Spanish mentor has repeatedly stated across the campaign that Mohun Bagan are going to compete for every possible trophy this season. That means they will be expected to play to their very best in the ISL and also, of course, soar in the AFC Cup. But with the fixtures ahead, a number of issues might soon persist.

Mohun Bagan in line for schedule issues after October break

The Mariners will be stretched to their limit from November onwards because of the pile of games that will keep coming at a rapid pace. Their postponed game against East Bengal is likely to be slotted into the November period. If that happens, then Mohun Bagan will have to play up to four games in November – including two in the AFC Cup group stages.

The real issues will start in December, when matches start coming in at an insane pace. For the time being, unless games are moved around, Mohun Bagan are tipped to play seven matches in December in the space of around 27 days.

This includes six ISL games and one in the AFC Cup. This crazy pile of games is mostly because of the ISL being closed in January due to India’s participation in the AFC Asian Cup. In this period, the Mariners’ squad’s mental and physical resolve will be tested to the limit.

What problems could they face due to overwhelming amount of games?

The Mariners have an expensive and star-studded squad for the current campaign after making some huge signings in the summer window. But the players they signed are also just human and not any robots. These players will start to get fatigued if they are made to constantly play a high-intense style of football at a rapid pace.

Mohun Bagan have also lost star Indian winger Ashique Kuruniyan due to an injury he sustained while playing for India. If the key players in the squad have to play rigorous football in the space of a few days without proper recovery sessions, they are likely to catch the injury bug sooner rather than later.

Too many injury issues can cause the same headaches for Ferrando as what happened last season, when he used to sometimes have only 12-13 players in training. If multiple key players get injured, Ferrando will not be able to implement his style well and be forced into making changes that can impact the performances of other players.

How can Mohun Bagan SG avoid a major injury crisis?

The Mohun Bagan gaffer has to be really smart and tactful with his team selection during the November-December period to get through it without key injury issues. Fortunately for him, the Spaniard has a much stronger squad than last season – having multiple quality options in nearly every position.

That is why he can at least afford to rest key players this season without worrying about the overall quality of his squad taking a massive drop. The tactician has already done this a few times this season to protect his players.

The likes of Manvir Singh, Jason Cummings, Brendan Hamill and even captain Subhasish Bose have been rotated in a few games to save them from injury troubles. Ferrando probably needs to do the same for players like Hugo Boumous, Dimitri Petratos and Anwar Ali on occasions going forward to keep them safe.

There could be selection headaches coming in for Ferrando soon, but he has been given this position to make some tough decisions. Even though some individuals might not be happy to get rested at times, the think-tank need to do it for their own well-being.

Ferrando’s squad-management skills will play a huge part in deciding how Mohun Bagan’s season goes. If he can nail that aspect, then the Mariners have enough quality to strongly compete in all competitions and even win the ISL league title quite easily.