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ATK Mohun Bagan (ATKMB)'s Finnish midfielder Joni Kauko limped off after clashing against FC Goa's Seriton Fernandes. He was stopped from crossing the ball by the Indian defender, which resulted in the two footballers clashing with one another.
Kauko went down holding his knee and limped off two minutes later. He is now set to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines after getting injured on Sunday, November 20 in the Indian Super League clash. Kauko was replaced by Carl McHugh on the hour mark.
The Goan side won the game 3-0. ATK Mohun Bagan's head coach Juan Ferrando was unsure about the extent of the injury during the post-match press conference.
"At this moment, we need the time, the doctors need to check. We'll see what exactly it is," said the Spaniard.
The Times of India's sports editor Marcus Mergulhao labeled Kauko's injury as 'bad news. He confirmed that the veteran midfielder will be badly missed by Ferrando's side and suggested that initial reports had shown that the Finnish player suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury. It could potentially rule him out for the rest of the Indian Super League (ISL) season.
ATKMB's troubles worsen six games into the new season
ATKMB has already lost Florentin Pogba, who suffered an ankle injury. It has kept the defender out for three weeks now. Kauko is the heartbeat of the current ATKMB team. He joined the club in 2021.
He has made 36 appearances in total and was a trusted lieutenant to both former boss Antonio Habas and current head coach Juan Ferrando It remains to be seen if ATKMB decides to buy a replacement for their injured star in the winter transfer market.
The Mariners are currently ranked sixth in the ISL standings. They have registered 10 points in six matches. Their next game is against league leaders Hyderabad FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.
