Indian Super League 2015: Huge blow to fans as FC Mumbai City release last year's hat-trick hero

Indian Super League side Mumbai City FC have said their star midfielder Andre Moritz will not be featuring in the remaining matches of the ISL for them as the Brazilian has headed home for "some personal emergency".

This comes as a stunning blow to the Mumbai City FC fans.

The 29-year-old former Crystal Palace and Bolton player was one of the star players for the Maharashtra side as he notched up three goals and a couple of assists from seven appearances in the inaugural season of the ISL.

Moritz became a household name after scoring a hat-trick against FC Pune City at the DY Patil Stadium in a 5-0 win.

This time however, the attacking midfielder appeared in just one game -- against Pune in the Maharashtra Derby on 5 October - and played for just 63 minutes, before being substituted by Selim Benachour.

"We would hereby like to announce that due to some personal emergency which requires him to go back home immediately, Andre Moritz will not be with us to play for the rest of the ISL 2015," Indranil Das Blah, CEO, Mumbai City FC, said in a statement.

"Upon his request, we are relieving him from team duties for the rest of the season. The team wishes him the very best."

Goal has reported that differences with Mumbai City marquee player-manager Nicolas Anelka forced Moritz to take such a decision. The Brazilian was also left out of the team for the match against Kerala Blasters in Kochi on 10 October.

Mumbai are currently without a win from their two games in the ISL, and will be keen to earning their first three points when they face Chennaiyin FC tomorrow (Friday) in their first home game this season at the DY Patil Stadium.