Jobby Justin suffers ACL injury, ruled out for ISL season

The 26-year-old will travel to Mumbai to undergo treatment on the injury.

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit ATK Mohun Bagan have had a major setback ahead of the upcoming 2020-21 season. Striker Jobby Justin has suffered an ACL injury during training and Khel Now understands that the striker has been ruled out of the competition.

"Jobby Justin suffered an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury during ATK Mohun Bagan's training three days ago. He has been ruled out five months," a source close to the developments informed Khel Now. "The player will travel to Mumbai this week to undergo treatment for the injury. Despite that, he is set to be included in the club's AFC Cup squad," te source added.

Earlier, the 26-year-old had contracted COVID-19 and recovered only a few days before entering the bio-bubble with his team in Goa.

In August, Jobby Justin extended his contract with ATKMB for two more seasons, after featuring for the defending champions in their title-winning campaign. His time with the Kolkata outfit has only been of moderate success so far, as he recorded only one goal and one assist across 10 appearances in the 2019-20 season. He was also an unused substitute in both the semi-finals and the final.

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“It’s true that I got fewer chances than expected in my first season, but it’s fine really. I am definitely looking forward to impressing coach Antonio Habas and getting more chances next time,” he had said when Khel Now caught up with him in May. But, based on the most recent developments, it looks as if the Kerala-born will have to wait for another year to make an impact at the club.

Born in Thiruvananthapuram, Jobby Justin played for various clubs including Travancore Titanium and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) before East Bengal signed him in 2017. He then went on to play in 27 matches across two seasons for the Red and Gold Brigade before ATK signed him last season. Following their merger with I-League champions Mohun Bagan in June, the 26-year-old went on to be a part of the newly-formed club as a part of the contingent retained by ATK.

Meanwhile, ATK Mohun Bagan have completed all their signings ahead of the upcoming ISL season and are keen to make an impact in the competition which will be held behind-closed-doors in Goa. David Williams, Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh are the Green and Maroons' other forward options apart from Justin.