East Bengal head coach Carles Cuadrat.
Credit: X/@IndSuperLeague
Kolkata: East Bengal head coach Carles Cuadrat on Thursday confirmed that Anwar Ali would not be available for their ISL opener against Bengaluru FC and said he's an "important player" and the club is actively exploring all possible avenues for his return.
A key figure for both India and East Bengal defence, Anwar was handed a four-month suspension by the AIFF's Players' Status Committee for wrongful contract termination with Mohun Bagan.
The red-and-gold brigade has now taken the case to the Appeals Committee, hoping for a stay order that would allow Anwar to feature in the upcoming matches.
"We know he is going to be an important player for the club, but we understand the situation that is not in our hands," Cuadrat said in a media interaction before leaving for Bengaluru.
"I have spoken to the player, and he's going to be very important for us. We have to understand that he's not going to play tomorrow, so we have to plan with the rest of the players. He's training very well." East Bengal face former champions BFC at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Begnaluru on Saturday.
In addition to Anwar's ban, East Bengal, Delhi FC (his parent club), and the player himself have been ordered to pay a record compensation of Rs 12.9 crore to Mohun Bagan.
Both clubs also face sporting sanctions, including a ban on registering new players for two consecutive transfer windows, dealing a significant blow to their team-building efforts.
"It's not in my hands. What's in my hands is to try and be competitive. The club is making a strategy, and everything is working as expected. But we don't look for excuses. We try to be competitive," he added.
East Bengal top official Debabrata Sarkar has said they have approached their lawyers who have "put our case to the Appeals Committee".
Top six, first target
Since their 2020-21 debut, East Bengal have struggled in the ISL, never finishing higher than ninth in the league.
However, Cuadrat believes the team now has the stability and a foundation to build a squad for the future.
"Finally, the club has retained the same coach for a new season, which means we are bringing stability to the club. This has happened for the first time since Trevor Morgan (2015-16).
"We are building a squad for the future. I feel very optimistic. It's a team for the future, and we've players on 2-3 year contracts. This is our challenge: to bring stability to the team." "We are going in the right direction. We've never been in the playoffs, in the top six. But we have the players for that. When you are in the top six, you are four games away from winning," Cuadrat said.
Bengaluru FC finished 10th in the standings last season, the lowest ever for the team that won the ISL Cup in its second appearance in 2018-19.
They have appointed Gerard Zaragoza midway through the last season and the team lost to Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup semifinal.
They have retained only two foreign players, Aleksandar Jovanovic and Ryan Williams while bringing in four new internationals: ISL Cup-winning duo Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Alberto Noguera, alongside Pedro Capo and Edgar Mendez.
Rahul Bheke, who captained Mumbai City FC to ISL Cup glory, has also rejoined Bengaluru FC for a second spell.
"They have great players and made good efforts in the transfer window. It's a club that's working well, and they will be competitive. They are a formidable side. We want to start well, and it's important to get three points," the East Bengal coach added.