Defending Indian Super League champion East Bengal FC faces a tough continental test when it meets Kuwaiti league runner-up Al Arabi SC in an AFC Champions League Two preliminary-stage knockout match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday. East Bengal returns to the competition after featuring in the AFC Challenge League in the 2024-25 season. It lost the ACL Two qualifying tie to Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr after qualifying as the Super Cup winner. Spanish midfielder Dani Ramirez and Australian midfielder Chris Ikonomidis are available for selection. Al Arabi, which spent over a month preparing in Turkiye, possesses significant attacking quality, with Palestinian Zaid Qunbar, Brazilian Lucas Shallon and Nigerian Anayo Iwuala among their key threats.