Having won four of their last five outings, East Bengal are supremely confident but their English coach Trevor James Morgan did not want to be complacent.
"Staying on top (of the standings) is a tough ask and my players know exactly how to perform in such situation. It will be crucial match for both the sides," Morgan said.
The round eight fixture will put the English coach against his compatriot David Booth who joined the Goan side following their breaking away with Karim Bencherifa who has joined Mohun Bagan.
Morgan, who has established himself as a key figure in the red-and-gold camp in his third season, will look to test his tactical acumen when he takes on another seasoned campaigner in Booth.
The East Bengal coach, however, played down the battle within the battle and said, "It is nice to have some from UK on the other side. We share mutual respect for each other," said Morgan, adding that he knows Booth as a coach since his playing days in the English league.
"The team (Salgaocar) are going through a phase of transition and such sides can produce a good result any time," Morgan said as a warning to guard against complacency.
The team has niggling injuries to some of the main players, including the Nigerian forward Edeh Chidi, but has not been ruled out of selection. MORE
