Mahindra United have an opportunity to avenge Durand Cup defeat to Goa outfit Churchill Brothers when the two teams clash in an I-League football match in Mumbai on Thursday.
Former National Football League champions Mahindra were beaten by a lone goal, scored by Churchill's Nigerian striker Odafe Onkeya Okolie, on November 7, and the African is once again a major threat to the Mumbai outfit.
Churchill started their campaign on a very strong note too, thrashing fellow-Goan team Sporting Clube de Goa 3-0 while Mahindra had to come back from a goal down to draw their opener against another Mumbai team, Air India.
But the Goa league runners-up, quarter-finalists in the Federation Cup, held in September when Mahindra finished second, are faced with a major handicap due to injuries to central midfielders Fabio Vidal Cortez, Chitrasen Chandam Singh and Mashangva Genius Zenith.
Churchill coach Karim Bencherifa told reporters after the team's practice session on Wednesday that the midfield trio's absence is a big handicap he needs to surmount.
"We have players to fill in for all other positions but not central midfield. We will have to do with what we possess," he said.
The Morocco-born coach also showed lot of respect for Mahindras despite the latter having lost a string of players, who did duty for them last season, to other clubs.
"They are the most consistent team this season, after having made it to the final of two major events - the Durand and Federation Cups." he pointed out.