6 first team players who may make their Kolkata Derby debut tomorrow

THEY SAY it's not good to have too many players in the first team who have never played a Kolkata Derby before. 

Playing in the Derby, it is said, is nothing like playing in any other match. The energy, the pressure, the noise, the anxiety... emotions flow at their highest across the Salt Lake Stadium. A new player can lose his direction in that whirlwind. And having too many players like that in the squad can derail the whole team.

To find an example, you don't have to look past the previous Kolkata Derby. It happened earlier this season, on 6th September, during the Calcutta Football League. Both clubs fielded young squads due to many players being off to ISL franchises. But Mohun Bagan had a particularly rookie-heavy team and the result was a humiliating 4-0 loss for the Mariners.

Even tomorrow's Derby will potentially see the debut of a number of first team player, some of them fairly young but some are veterans who are taking part in this historic fixture for the very first time. And Mohun Bagan are once again likely to field the majority of first-timers in this game.

So here's a look at half a dozen players who have never played a Kolkata Derby before, but may get to open their account tomorrow.