A gutsy Wadi Degla side snapped Zamalek s three-match winning run after holding their illustrious opponents to a 1-1 draw in the Egyptian Premier League on Tuesday. Degla fell behind to a powerful strike from Zamalek striker Mostafa Mohamed on the quarter-hour mark but still produced a brilliant display that belies their 12th-place rank in the table. They leveled the score three minutes before halftime, thanks to a volley from Ahmed Said, and were unlucky not to snatch a win in a second half they almost completely dominated. The possession-based football orchestrated by Degla s Greek coach Takis Gonias looks to be finally working after a poor start to the season. Zamalek s mini-revival came to an end as they lie third in the table with 25 points, a massive 11 behind leaders and arch rivals Ahly, who still have a game in hand. Given the big gap, Zamalek s realistic hope lies in finishing second and earning an African Champions League spot. They are seven points behind surprise package and second-placed Arab Contractors, who played two matches more. Mostafa Mohamed opened the scoring after 15 minutes in style, his right-foot piledriver nestling into the top corner of the net after Degla were robbed in midfield. Zamalek needlessly eased off after taking an early lead, allowing a typical adventurous Degla side to pour forward en masse. Degla had a valid penalty claim waved away by the referee when Zamalek defender Mahmoud Hamdi appeared to block a cross with a flailing arm. But they got the equaliser they deserved in the 42nd minute when Said popped up unmarked at the far post to volley home a lofted pass. Degla laid siege to Zamalek s area for most of the second half, with Tunisian forward Rafik Kabou guilty of wasting two easy chances. He broke clear on 49 minutes following a defence-splitting pass from his mis-hit effort was thwarted by keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal and then failed to connect with a low cross with the goal at his mercy shortly after. Zamalek s only chance fell to out-of-sorts winger Mohamed Ounajem, the Moroccan blasting high over from a rebound.

Zamalek will be aiming for their fourth straight league victory to maintain their title when they take on Wadi Degla on Tuesday at Cairo Stadium in the 15th round of the Egyptian Premier League. The Whites, who have just secured a berth in the African Champions League quarterfinals last weekend following a scoreless draw against TP Mazembe of DR Congo, are fourth of the Egyptian League table with 24 points, 12 adrift of leaders Ahly after just 12 games. Zamalek s French coach Patrice Carteron decided to include returning Congolese striker Kabongo Kasongo in his squad to boost his front line alongside in-form markman Mostafa Mohamed, especially that Omar El-Said is serving a one-match automatic ban. Kasongo joined Zamalek in 2017 but was loaned out to Saudi s Al-Wehda then Morocco s Wydad Casablanca in 2019 before returning to the Whites in the current transfer market. Meanwhile, midfield linchpin Tarek Hamed was also ruled out due to suspension. Carteron will also have to do without injured duo left-back Abdallah Gomaa and Moroccan forward Achraf Bencharki Wadi Degla bounced back to winning ways after a catastrophic start of the season that saw them drop in the danger zone. Takis Gonias men claimed seven points from their previous three games beating Smouha 3-2 and Aswan 3-1 and conceding a 1-1 draw against El-Entag El-Harby. They are 12th with 13 points after 14 games and hope to maintain their fine run on Tuesday.

A first-half goal from Junior Ajayi gave Ahly a vital 1-0 home win over Tunisia s Etoile Sahel that lifted them to the summit of their African Champions League group and boosted their hopes to reach the last eight on Sunday. The Nigerian fired home on the rebound after a defender had cleared a goal-bound shot just past the half-hour mark, giving Ahly a much needed victory in a cagey encounter in Cairo. Ahly are on top of Group B with 10 points, one ahead of Etoile and Sudanese giants Al-Hilal with one match remaining in the group phase. The Red Devils only need to draw at Al-Hilal s Omdurman fortress in their final match next week to qualify for the quarter-finals. A win will see them advance as the group leaders regardless of the outcome of the other match between Etoile and Zimbabwe s Platinum. Ahly looked disjointed in the opening half-hour, with a physical Etoile side giving them little space to operate and trying to hit them on the counter. Striker Karim Aribi wasted two chances to give Etoile a surprise lead early one, forcing a fine one-handed save from Mohamed El-Shennawi with a shot from the edge of the area before having another effort thwarted by the keeper after racing past his challenger in the area. It was not until the 30th minute that Ahly threatened the visitors, with keeper Achraf Krir keeping out an angled shot from Hussein El-Shahat with his finger tips. The breakthrough came two minutes later when a low cross from Tunisian left-back Ali Maaloul found El-Shahat at the far post. The winger s shot was cleared off the line by Zied Boughattas and Ajayi made no mistake with a bouncing shot. The second half was a bore affair, with both sides unable to muster any meaningful opportunities. The only half-chance fell to Ahly striker Marwan Mohsen, who cut inside and missed the target with a left-foot shot. Mohsen, who was an otherwise peripheral figure, was replaced in stoppage time, making way for Senegalese striker Aliou Badji, who made his debut.

Ahly host Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel in the fifth round of Group B games of the African Champions League on Sunday at El-Salam Stadium. The Cairo giants, who are bidding to qualify for the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League, are expected to face a tough test against Etoile du Sahel after losing the away game to the Tunisian side 1-0 at Stade Olympique de Radès last November. Group B of the Champions League are tight as Etoile du Sahel are in the driving seat with nine points, sharing the same number of points with Sudanese Al-Hilal and two points over Ahly who are in third place. Sudanese Al-Hilal defeated FC Platinum of Zimbabwe 1-0 early on Saturday to raise pressure on Ahly ahead of Etoile du Sahel clash. "We have no choice but to win over Etoile du Sahel," Ahly football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz told reporters on Saturday. "The games against the North African teams are always difficult so we have to give it our all against Etoile du Sahel," he added. "We are familiar with Tunisian football, and we know well the Etoile du Sahel team." Ahly will continue losing the services of efficient winger Ramadan Sobhi and defender Saad Samir due to injuries. Attacking midfielder Hussein El-Shahat and winger Mahmoud Kahraba will boost the Reds squad after their valuable participation in the 5-0 win over Tanta and the 2-0 win over the Arab Contractors in the Egyptian Premier League last week. Ahly have included newly signed Senegalese striker Aliou Badji for the game against Etoile du Sahel. Despite their current poor performance in the Tunisian League, Etoile du Sahel will fight against Ahly to secure a place in the quarterfinals. Etoile du Sahel achieved three victories in the Champions League group stage after playing four games.

Egyptian club Maqassa announced Wednesday that they parted ways with head coach Ahmed Mido Hossam after Tuesday s 3-1 league loss to rivals Pyramids FC. "The board decided to thank coach Mido for his stint with the team, wishing him best of luck in his next steps as he is considered one of the promising coaches," read a short statement on Maqassa s official Twitter account. Coach Gamal Omar will be in charge of the team in the coming period, according to club management. The 37-year-old former Egypt attacker Mido took the charge of the Fayoum-based club last June, succeeding former coach Talaat Youssef. With Mido at the helm, Maqassa secured just two wins and suffered seven defeats in 14 domestic league matches since the season start. The team currently lie in 15th place of the league table. The former Zamalek, Ismaily and Wadi Degla coach Mido hung up his boots in June 2013 after serving a host of European clubs, including Ajax, Celta Vigo, Marseille, Roma, Tottenham, Wigan and West Ham. Mido took charge of Zamalek twice, leading the club to the Egypt Cup title in his first stint in 2014. His second spell in 2016 was less successful and he was sacked following a poor run of results. Mido also had stints with Ismaily in 2015 and Wadi Degla in 2017. He was named as coach of Saudi side Al-Wehda in 2019, but was sacked after only two months.

Ahly s Moroccan striker Walid Azaro has joined Saudi side Ettifaq on loan for six months starting this month, the gulf club announced Wednesday. "Azaro joined the club from Ahly on loan until the end of the current season," reads a short statement by Ettifaq via their Twitter account. The future of the 24-year old Azaro with Ahly was recently unclear as several reports suggested that the club wanted to release him, especially after the arrival of Senegalese striker Aliou Badji. With five foreign players already on their squad, Ahly had to offload one to make room for the Senegalese hitman. Despite impressing in the first two seasons after joining the Reds in 2017 from Morocco s Difaa El-Jadida, the league s top scorer of the 2017/2018 season recently came under fire by Ahly fans after failing to prove his worth since the season start. Ahly finally decided to offload Azaro amid reports that the decision came after he failed to convince coach Rene Weiler; scoring just four goals in 11 appearances this season. Azaro scored 41 goals in 89 games in all competitions with Ahly. Ettifaq currently lie in 10th place of the Saudi domestic league table with 17 points from 14 matches.

Aston Villa eased its striker crisis by signing Tanzania international Mbwana Samatta from Belgian champion Genk on Monday. Villa has played its last three matches without a recognized striker after Brazil international Wesley was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. The Premier League club sold the other striker in its squad, Jonathan Kodjia, to Qatari side Al-Gharafa earlier Monday. Samatta has scored 10 goals for Gent in all competitions this season, including one at Anfield against Liverpool in the Champions League. Samatta is the first player from Tanzania to play in the Premier League. He did not sign in time to be available for Villa s league match at home to Watford on Tuesday. Villa is in the relegation zone after 23 of 38 games in its first season back in the top division.

Ahly coach Rene Weiler has announced that the team s playmaker Saleh Gomaa will not have a place in the current squad, hoping the latter will have regular play with another team. Last week, Gomaa announced that he was suffering under Ahly s new coach Weiler, who always omits the playmaker from the team s squad despite his performance during trainings. "Each player has two sides, technical and mental. While Saleh Gomaa has the technical part, he lacks the mental one, which is related to concentration, as he was repeatedly fined by the team s management," Weiler told a press conference after the 2-0 win over Arab contractors on Sunday. "Saleh Gomaa won t have a role with us. I wish him good luck with another team," the Ahly coach said. Ahly fined the 26-year-old attacking midfielder repeatedly this season due to his absence from the team s trainings. Moreover, he did not make any appearance with team during the ongoing season. Since his arrival to Ahly in the 2015 season from Egyptian Premier league side Enppi, Gomaa made 69 appearances with the Reds, scoring 12 goals and making 13 assists. Ahly are in the driver s seat of the Egyptian Premier league, with a full mark of 36 points after playing 12 games so far this season.

Irrepressible Ahly will be looking to edge closer to a club record when they face nearest challengers Arab Contractors in a top-of-the-table clash in the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday. The Red Devils, who are firm favourites to win a fifth straight league title, made one of their best starts ever to a season, winning their first 11 games with a swagger. The netted a staggering 33 goals in the process, conceding just twice. Ahly are the team to beat and should they overcome Contractors, they will be just five wins short of the record they set in the 2004/2005 season when they won their opening 17 matches under iconic Portuguese coach Manuel Jose. But they are likely to face their toughest test yet this term against an in-form Contractors side that are managed by former Ahly defender Emad El-Nahhas. Contractors made an impressive start, collecting 29 points from their opening 13 matches to sit four points behind Ahly, although the latter still have two matches in hand. Ahly s firepower upfront was further boosted by the arrival of Egypt winger Mahmoud Kahraba, who opened his account with a late double salvo in the team s 5-0 drubbing of Tanta in their previous match. The Cairo giants also welcome back key attacking midfielder Walid Soliman after he recovered from injury. Out-of-favour Moroccan striker Walid Azaro, who is likely to be offloaded in January, was left out of Ahly s squad. Senegalese frontman Aliou Badji, who joined from Rapid Vienna last week, has not been registered yet in Ahly s squad.

Xavi said it was "too early" for him to coach Barcelona as he confirmed on Thursday that he had received an offer from his former club but would remain at Qatari side Al-Sadd. World Cup winner Xavi, 39, said Barcelona s director of football Eric Abidal made him the offer, before settling on Quique Setien to replace Ernesto Valverde as coach. "I received an offer from Barcelona in the presence of Eric Abidal... but I did not agree to this offer, especially as it is too early for me to coach Barcelona," he said in a statement issued by Al-Sadd. "But it will still be my dream to coach the team in the future. "I love the new Barcelona coach, I love the way he works, and I expect him to succeed with the team." Valverde left Barcelona after his sacking on Monday, closing the page on a brutal few days. Barcelona confirmed Setien s appointment following a board meeting that lasted more than four hours on Monday. His contract runs until 2022 although there is a break clause in 2021, to allow for change after the club s presidential elections. Valverde is the first coach to be sacked by Barca mid-season since Louis van Gaal in 2003. Barcelona sit top of La Liga, albeit level on points with Real Madrid, and face Napoli next month in the last 16 of the Champions League. Xavi came through the Barcelona academy before breaking the record for most appearances for the senior side, winning four Champions League trophies and eight La Liga titles. He joined Al-Sadd as a player in 2015 before being appointed coach last July.

Zamalek continued their recent fine run with a 2-0 victory at Gouna on Wednesday -- their third straight win in the Egyptian Premier League -- to avenge a bitter draw last season which virtually ended their title hopes. Veteran winger Mahmoud Shikabala netted his first league goal in over two years on only his third appearance this season to give Zamalek the lead on the quarter-hour mark. Moroccan winger Mohamed Ounajem ensured the win ten minutes after the break, notching his second goal since joining the team last summer after he also found the net in an exciting 3-2 win over Tanta in their previous match. Zamalek were held to a 2-2 draw on the same venue in the Egyptian Red Sea resort last season with two matches remaining in the league, which was crucial in handing the title to perennial Cairo rivals Ahly. The White Knights are third in the table with 24 points, five behind second-placed Arab Contractors, who played a game more, and six adrift of leaders Ahly, who have two games in hand. Shikabala opener Zamalek s early pressure resulted in a 15th-minute opener when Shikabala cut inside from the right and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. The visitors looked lively but Gouna still posed threats on breakaways, going close on 18 minutes when right-back Bassem Ali cut inside central defender Mahmoud Alaa before firing a shot that forced a fine one-handed save from keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal. Abou-Gabal was called into action again on the stroke of halftime, thwarting a bicycle effort from Khaled Sobhi following a diagonal left-wing cross. But Zamalek still managed to increase their advantage in the 55th minute when attacking midfielder Youssef Ibrahim fed Ounajem on the edge of the area, with the Moroccan finding the bottom corner with precise low shot. Gouna poured forward en masse and were unlucky not to narrow the gap when a glancing header from substitute Eslam Mohareb came off the bar. Zamalek survived a late onslaught and an injury to left-back Abdallah Gomaa, when they had already made their three substitutions, to maintain their recent mini-revival.

Zamalek will be looking to maintain their recent mini-revival when they face Gouna in the Egyptian Premier League on Wednesday, having shown signs of improvement after a patchy form. The Cairo giants ended a three-match winless run, which severely dented their hopes to challenge for the league title, by claiming two back-to-back wins over Aswan and Tanta earlier this month. Their victory over Tanta was particularly thrilling as Zamalek scored twice in the dying minutes to grab a much-needed 3-2 win after resting some key regulars. They continued their fine form by beating Zambia s Zesco United 2-0 at home on Saturday to boost their chances of reaching the African Champions League quarters. Although they are nine points behind leaders and defending champions Ahly, who still have a game in hand, Zamalek coach Patrice Carteron is refusing to throw in the towel. "The performance is improving as we managed to score a goal or two in every game of the recent matches," the Frenchman said. "We are still competing with Ahly for the league title." Gouna are likely to prove stiff opponents to Zamalek on their home venue in the Egyptian Red Sea resort. They held Zamalek to a thrilling 2-2 home draw in their previous meeting last season, which effectively ended their opponents league hopes and handed the title to Ahly. Gouna currently lie 12th in the table with 12 points from as many games.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has started on Sunday its training programme for Egyptian referees to implement the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the domestic competitions in the upcoming weeks. The first phase includes technical tests on VAR equipment at the sub-pitch of the Cairo International Stadium, and will last for two days. The referees will then attend one-week lectures. During the four-week practical stage, the referees will be divided into 18 groups, each comprising three referees, according to the EFA statement on its official Facebook page. "The timetable ensures applying VAR by the start of the second half of the Egyptian Premier League s current season, but the EFA is awaiting the official approval of the sports and youth ministry," said Mohamed Fadl, member of the EFA s normalisation committee. The second half of the season will start in February. "The EFA will inform the Egyptian Premier League with all the information on VAR, to receive their suggestions and implement the procedures needed for the success of the project," Fadl added. Egyptian referees have come under stern criticism in the past few seasons and the majority of clubs have requested the implementation of VAR to avoid obvious mistakes that overshadowed several games.

Ahly and Zamalek will face off in the United Arab Emirates after the managing committee of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced that the domestic Super Cup will be played in the Gulf country 20 February. "EFA board member Mohamed Fadl arrived in the UAE 3 January, making an investigative visit to suggested stadiums to host the Egypt s Super Cup game," read a statement by EFA. "The EFA crew headed by Fadl chose Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium to host the game that will be played on Thursday, 20 February, with the attendance of 37,000 fans,” the statement added. EFA also announced the Cairo derby game between Ahly and Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League will be postponed from 19 February to be played 24 February. "The referee crew will use VAR technology during their mission in officiating Egypt s Super Cup game," the EFA statement added. It s the fourth time for UAE to host Egypt s Super Cup having organised the event in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In the summer of 2015, Ahly defeated perrenial rivals Zamalek 3-2 in an exciting game at Al Ain s Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium. In 2016, Zamalek defeated Ahly 3-1 after penalty kicks following a goalless draw at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium. In the winter of 2018, Ahly defeated Masry 1-0 at Al Ain s Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium. Ahly are the record holders of the Super Cup with 11 titles. Zamalek have won it three times.

Egyptian Football Association (EFA) member Mohamed Fadl announced Thursday that VAR, video assistant referee technology, will be used in stadiums when the second round of the Egyptian Premier League starts. "We will rent VAR technology equipment for three and a half years, then we will own it permanently," Fadl told a television programme. "VAR technology will be officially used when the second round of the league starts,” he added. The first round of the Egyptian Premier League is scheduled to finish 19 February with the Cairo derby between Ahly and Zamalek. "We finalised the process as we received the machines to train our referees on the new technology,” Fadl revealed. "The EFA will pay all the costs of the VAR technology, and a trainer for referees will arrive in Cairo 12 January to train 54 referees. After 28 days of training, we will be ready to use the technology," Fadl said. Egyptian referees have come under stern criticism in the past few seasons and most clubs have requested the implementation of VAR technology to avoid obvious mistakes that overshadowed several games. Video assistant referee technology allows match officials to review decisions made by the head referee. The VAR team, stationed in a video operation room, automatically check every on-field referee decision under the four reviewable categories.

Ahly and national team winger Hussein El-Shahat will miss the team s trip to Zimbabwe ahead of the fourth round game of the African Champions League against FC Platinum, scheduled for Saturday. Ahly key player El-Shahat was the closest player from the team s injury list to join the travelling squad to Zimbabwe, but Ahly decided not to take the risk and to let him rest. "Both tactical and medical staff preferred not to include El-Shahat to the players travelling to Zimbabwe to give him more time to recover from his injury," Ahly s assistant coach Sami Komsan told the club s official website. The 28-year-old winger who joined the Reds last season participated with Ahly in 15 matches in all competitions, scoring eight goals. The Cairo giants will be fighting for their third victory in Zimbabwe, as they occupy second place with six points in Group B of the Confederation of African Football s Champions League. "Platinum s loss against Etoile du Sahel at home doesn t mean they are a weak team, especially that Zimbabwe s champion was dominating the game. Ahly will play the game as usual to get the three points," said Komsan. Tunisia s Etoile Sportive du Sahel lead the group with six points, Al-Hilal of Sudan is third with also six points, while FC Platinum lie at the bottom of the group with no points.

Zamalek s assistant coach Samy El-Shesheny slammed the intense schedule of the Egyptian Premier League, insisting it is a burden on clubs participating in the domestic competition. Since the season start in September, the Egyptian league matches almost take place every four days; a fact that puts more pressure on the coaches amid the sudden injuries and suspensions, according to El-Shesheny. "The intense schedule is torturing for the clubs. Ahly will be losing defender Saad Samir for the rest of the season after damaging his Achilles tendon, while many other players suffer different crucial injuries," El-Shesheny told Time Sports TV channel. "The schedule is intense to end the completion early, and you can t go on if you didn t prepare a large number of players for your match selections," he added. In Sunday s league win over Tanta, Zamalek coach Patrice Carteron made wholesale changes to his line-up, opting to rest a handful of key players before Friday s African Champions League game at home to Zambia s Zesco United. "The season is full of commitments like the league, Egypt Cup, Champions League and African Super Cup," explained El-Shesheny. "What happed against Tanta [deploying a second string team) was a big risk from Carteron, but we all stand behind him as some players needed rest and others wanted the opportunity to play," he concluded. Zamalek currently lie third at the league table with 21 points from 11 matches, nine points behind champions Ahly who played 10 matches so far.

New signing Mahmoud Kahraba could make his debut when Ahly meet debutants FC Masr in on Sunday as they aim to extend their impressive run in the Egyptian Premier League. The Egyptian international winger joined Ahly in the winter transfer window after ending his contract with Portuguese side Aves in a headline-grabbing deal. Kahraba is still subject of a complaint from Ahly s Cairo foes Zamalek, where he had played since 2015. Zamalek said the 25-year-old had breached his contract by abruptly leaving the club last summer to join Aves. He argues that his deal had already run out when he departed. The Egyptian Football Association said Kahraba is eligible to play after receiving his international clearance on Saturday, a timely boost for Ahly who are already missing influential winger Ramadan Sobhi because of a hamstring injury. "The player will wear the number 26 shirt in domestic competitions," Ahly said in a statement on their official website. The Red Devils are enjoying a great run of form under Swiss coach Rene Weiler, winning their first nine games to sit top with 27 points, two ahead of second-placed Arab Contractors, who played two games more. They have also proved far superior to all of their opponents so far, scoring a staggering 25 goals and conceding just once. FC Masr have produced some convincing displays in their maiden top-flight appearance. They lie 13th in the 18-team table with 11 points from as many games.

Cairo Giants Ahly started the new year in style after defeating Maqassa 2-0 in a league game at El-Salam stadium on Wednesday, claiming their ninth consecutive win in the domestic league this season. Tunisian fullback Ali Maaloul opened the scoring in the 74th minute, while midfielder Mohamed Magdi doubled the lead six minutes later. Ahly are at the top of the league table with a maximum 27 points, two points ahead of second-placed Arab Contractors, who played two games more. Maqassa striker Amr Marei had the chance to give his side an early lead in the 2nd minute when he received a nice pass from midfielder Mohamed Mossaad that made him clear, but his effort went wide. After Marei s chance, Ahly controlled the game in terms of possession but without making a real threat. Maqassa Ethiopian winger Shemeles Bekele squandered another chance when he found himself clear, failing to control the ball while the goal was at his mercy. On the other hand, Ahly s Malian midfielder Aliou Dieng squandered a good opportunity just before the break, his close-range shot going wide. The second half was different for Ahly, who intensified their attacks, especially after Rene Weiler s decision to introduce veteran winger Walid Soliman and Angolan winger Geraldo two minutes before the hour-mark. The duo made a quick impact when Geraldo gained a penalty converted by Ali Maaloul in the 74th minute. Six minutes later, a poor clearance from Maqassa s defence allowed Mohamed Magdi to double the lead. Marwan Mohsen failed to make it 3-0 after squandering a golden opportunity in injury time.

The question now is who can stop Ahly s relentless march towards a fifth consecutive Egyptian Premier League triumph. The Red Devils, who entertain struggling Maqassa on Wednesday, have made their best start to a season in over a decade and it s hard to imagine them giving away the title. They won their opening eight matches, recording comprehensive victories in most of them as their main challengers, including perennial Cairo rivals Zamalek, faltered badly. They scored a staggering 23 goals and conceded only once, underlining their strength and the gulf in class between Egypt s most successful outfit and their competitors. Ahly sit top with a maximum 24 points, two ahead of second-placed and surprise package Arab Contractors, who played two games more. Maqassa are unlikely to pose a serious threat to Ahly, given their poor start to the season. The club, who are managed by former Tottenham Hotspur and AS Roma striker Mido, lie 15th in the 18-team table with nine points, just one clear of the relegation zone. Pressure is mounting on Mido, although club officials reiterated that his job was safe. Ahly will once again have to do without some key players against Maqassa due to injuries, including attacking midfielder Hussein El-Shahat, Nigerian forward Junior Ajayi and influential winger Ramadan Sobhi, who faces several weeks on the sidelines. Defender Ayman Ashraf also misses out due to automatic suspension.

At the start of this decade, clashes between Arsenal and Manchester United were still potentially title-deciding affairs, but when the pair meet on New Year s Day at the Emirates they will have more modest goals in mind. United have not won a league title since Alex Ferguson s final season in charge seven years ago, while Arsenal have to go back to 2004 for the last time they raised the Premier League trophy, during the reign of Arsene Wenger. Both clubs entered this season hoping to finish in the top four, but while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has guided United to fifth place, just a point off the Champions League spots, Arsenal languish in 12th, 11 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea after their home defeat to Frank Lampard s side on Sunday. Arsenal s poor form led to the dismissal of their Spanish manager Unai Emery and the arrival of his compatriot, former Gunners midfielder Mikel Arteta. Having left his role as Pep Guardiola s assistant at Manchester City, Arteta is talking big despite beginning with a draw at Bournemouth before Sunday s loss. "We are the biggest football club in England, and we have to play a little bit with that arrogance, that belief," Arteta told Sky Sports, urging the club s fans to make the Emirates a fortress again. "This stadium has to create fear again. I used to hate coming here as an opponent, and we need to use that power. The opponent must be uncomfortable playing here," he said. "It was incredible to play here as an Arsenal player. It s one of the most beautiful, exciting stadiums in the world. When this crowd gets going, and you feel them right behind the team, it s an incredible place," he added. United head to London on the back of wins over Newcastle and Burnley, and with French forward Anthony Martial and England s Marcus Rashford having struck five times in those games. French midfielder Paul Pogba is expected to be part of the United squad for the clash with the Gunners as he continues his return from a three-month injury absence. Runaway leaders Liverpool host Sheffield United on Thursday, looking to maintain their unbeaten run and 13-point advantage over second-placed Leicester City. Brendan Rodgers Foxes are at Newcastle, while third-placed Manchester City have a tricky test at home to Everton, who have won both their games since appointing Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager. David Moyes begins his second spell as West Ham United manager, following the dismissal of Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, when the Hammers host fellow strugglers Bournemouth.