Peter Reid's Mumbai City goes into today's Indian Super League opener against Atletico de Kolkata short of two foreign stars.

With 110,000 fans expected for the ISL kickoff, Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg and former Chelsea and Real Madrid striker Nicolas Anelka will both be missing for Mumbai.

"Ljungberg still feels his calf a little bit so I'm not going to take any chances," Reid said at a pre-match press conference.

"It's going to be a difficult game but I'm looking forward to it and so are the players."

The absences threaten to rob the opening match of star power, with the best known player being Kolkata's ex-Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia of Spain.

"We will try to be offensive when we can," Reid said. "I think it will be a good game but I can't promise anything."