Zamalek will kick off their Egyptian Premier League campaign against Ittihad in the absence of head coach Jorvan Vieira. Vieira has been away for over two weeks now, having stayed in Abu Dhabi following the friendly Matchworld Cup last month. The Brazilian cited ‘personal reasons' behind his no-show, which added to speculation that he is leaving the club this winter. However, Zamalek maintain that Vieira will be back in a few days although he is set to miss the home game against Ittihad on Saturday. “Vieira asked for six more days away and the board has decided that next Tuesday will be his last chance to show up," Zamalek football committee director Hamada Emam told FilGoal.com. “Should Vieira fail to return on the agreed date, we will immediately be naming a new man to take the head coach role. “We have also decided that the new manager will be Egyptian." Meanwhile, Vieira's assistant Osama Nabih will be in charge of the Ittihad game, which takes place at the Air Defense Stadium in Cairo Zamalek will miss veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan due to injury, while Mahmoud Fathallah is a major doubt.
