Zamalek will begin their Egyptian League title defence against Al-Ittihad Alexandria on Friday evening with several players unavailable for the opening fixture at Cairo Stadium.
The reigning champions are hoping to start the new campaign with a victory after securing the league title last season under coach Moataz Gamal.
However, Zamalek’s preparations have been complicated by a number of issues, with Brazilian winger Juan Bezerra among the most notable absentees for the first-round encounter.
The club are also still dealing with a transfer ban linked to unpaid financial dues owed to former players and coaches. The departure of sporting director John Edward has added to the challenges facing the club before the beginning of their title defence.
Bezerra among Zamalek absentees
Bezerra is expected to miss the match after stopping his training with the team.
Reports have suggested that the Brazilian has travelled to the United Arab Emirates to complete a move to Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai, although Zamalek’s management has not given its approval for the transfer.
His absence leaves the Egyptian champions without one of their attacking options as they prepare for their first league match of the season.
Bezerra is not the only player unavailable to Gamal.
Hossam Ashraf and Mohamed Ibrahim will also sit out the opening game because they are serving suspensions resulting from accumulated cards from the previous season.
Tunisian winger Ahmed Al-Jafali is another absentee. He has yet to join the team’s training sessions and will therefore not be involved against Al-Ittihad.
There are also question marks over the availability of Abdullah Al-Saeed and Angolan forward Chico Banza.
Both players joined the team’s preparations late and have not yet reached full readiness, leaving their participation in Friday’s game uncertain.
The number of absences means Zamalek face their first test of the new campaign without several players who could have been involved in the title defence.
Al-Ittihad prepare for difficult test
Al-Ittihad Alexandria, meanwhile, are preparing to field a strong squad as they attempt to cause problems for the defending champions.
Coach Hamza Al-Jamal has announced his squad for the opening-round fixture and will be hoping his players can produce a positive result against Zamalek.
The squad includes three goalkeepers: Sobhi Suleiman, Ali Al-Jabri and Ahmed Al-Arabi.
The defensive options are Mustafa Ibrahim, Khaled Mosaad, Islam Abdel-Latif, Mohamed Mustafa “Mido” and Moamen Sherif.
In midfield, Al-Ittihad have selected Moamen Awad, Kenneth Simakola, Isaac Saviour, Mahmoud Emad, Ahmed Elsayed, Ahmed Atef, Mohamed Fakhry and Ahmed Nagy.
Their attacking options are John Ibuka, Nour Alaa, Pascal Ferry, Yousry Wahid, Hossam Hassan and Joseph Armola.
Al-Jamal has, however, left several players out of the squad.
Among those excluded are Ahmed Hamdi and Anas Wael, who both joined Al-Ittihad from Zamalek. The coach left the pair out for technical reasons.
Mustafa Muawad, who arrived from Jordanian club Al-Wehdat, and Mohamed Tony were also omitted from the matchday squad.
Champions under pressure to start strongly
The opening fixture will provide an early indication of how Zamalek will cope with the challenges surrounding the club.
Their status as defending champions means expectations will be high, but the absences of Bezerra, Hossam Ashraf, Mohamed Ibrahim and Al-Jafali have reduced the options available to the coaching staff.
The uncertainty surrounding Al-Saeed and Chico Banza could further complicate Zamalek’s preparations if the pair are ultimately unable to feature.
The club are also entering the season while dealing with problems away from the pitch, including the continuing transfer ban and the departure of John Edward.
For Al-Ittihad, those circumstances could provide encouragement before a difficult opening fixture.
Al-Jamal has assembled a sizeable squad for the match and will hope his players can take advantage of Zamalek’s absences to begin the season with a notable result.
Zamalek, however, will be determined to put the off-field issues and squad problems aside and begin their title defence with three points at Cairo Stadium.
