Pune: Laggards of the inaugural edition, Mumbai City FC and FC Pune City would hope for a better outing this time around as they start their campaign in ISL-2 in the absence of key domestic players like Sunil Chhetri (Mumbai) and Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Jackichand Singh (Pune) today.

As many as seven players will be missing as they are leaving the country for India's 2018 World Cup qualifying round game against Turkmenistan on October 8 at Ashgabat.

Mumbai finished last season in seventh place while Pune were sixth.