While Zamalek's start to their reign under Serbian coach Micho was promising, two successive losses, including a bitter 3-2 defeat by arch rivals Ahly in the Egyptian Super Cup, somewhat dampened the mood. The Cairo giants will be seeking to make amends by kicking off their Egyptian Premier League campaign with a win over Ittihad of Alexandria on Monday. Micho was criticised for his starting line-up selections as Zamalek fell 3-0 down against Ahly, only to stage a late rally which saw them score twice via well-taken penalties from central defender Mahmoud Alaa. He was particularly blamed for not fielding in-form striker Mostafa Mohamed and left-back Abdallah Gomaa. When the burly Mostafa was introduced after the break, Zamalek's attack was revitalized and he managed to win the penalty which gave the team a lifeline. Mostafa is likely to regain his place in the starting line-up when the White Knights meet Ittihad in Cairo as they begin their campaign to dethrone perennial rivals Ahly, winners of the last four league editions. But Micho will have to do with only one natural central midfielder in Ferjani Sassi, with his usual partner Tarek Hamed suspended and back-ups Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz and Mohamed Hassan injured. Central defender Mohamed Abdel-Ghani is also out after picking up an injury against Ahly. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
