East Bengal star Madih Talal ruled out of rest of ISL 2024-25 season due to injury

Madih Talal suffered an ACL injury in the game between East Bengal and Odisha FC

Indian Super League (ISL) side East Bengal had a lot of hopes before the start of the 2024-25 season. The Super Cup holders had made quite a big-name signing to bolster their squad. However, things have not worked out as everyone had expected.

A string of consecutive losses to start their 2024-25 ISL campaign led to the dismissal of Carles Cuadrat. East Bengal seemed to have somewhat recovered in recent games under their new manager – Oscar Bruzon. But the Red and Gold Brigade have now suffered another setback having lost Madih Talal to an ACL injury.

What is the extent of Madih Talal’s injury?

Having joined from Punjab FC in the summer transfer window, Madih Talal had a slow start to life at East Bengal. The French-Moroccan was getting into form in recent games. However, his latest injury will now keep him out of action for quite some time.

The East Bengal playmaker started the game against Odisha FC at the VYBK Stadium. Unfortunately, though, the 27-year-old’s night came to an early end as he went down holding his right knee within the first four minutes. To his credit, Talal tried to continue but he was clearly in discomfort and had to be taken out on a stretcher in the 12th minute of the game.

As per various sources, Madih Talal has suffered a grade three Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury. This will rule the playmaker out for the rest of the 2024-25 Indian Super League season at the very least.

A grade three ACL tear is a complete or near complete tear to the ACL ligament in the knee. The general recovery time for this kind of injury is between 6-12 months after the surgery is done. A full recovery is generally possible with conservative treatment and physical therapy.

Where does East Bengal go from here?

East Bengal were being considered as a strong contender for one of the playoff spots ahead of the 2024-25 ISL season. However, the Kolkata club is riddled with injuries and this is not helping their cause.

Apart from Madih Talal, Saul Crespo and Dimitrios Diamantakos are also unavailable for selection at the moment. With nearly half the season over, East Bengal might have to dip into the January transfer window to sign a few new players to have a chance of making the playoffs.

As for Madih Talal, the 27-year-old had signed a two-year contract with East Bengal, keeping him at the club until 2026. The playmaker could be expected to return to action by October-November 2025 once he regains full fitness from his ACL injury.

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