Reigning African champions Ahly have injury and suspension problems as they host Algeria's JS Kabylie on Saturday aiming to bounce back from their opening African Champions League group defeat.
The Egyptian giants, who lost a two-year unbeaten record on African soil with a 1-0 defeat at Tunisia's CS Sfaxien a fortnight ago, will play without three influential midfielders and their top striker.
"Certain key players have played too much football over the last year and could not find their rhythm," conceded Manuel Jose.
Victory for Ahly in last weekend's Egyptian Super Cup has been tempered by a knee injury to Mohamed Aboutrika, who scored the last-gasp winner but is now out for the next month.
Already out with a long-term injury is his influential partner Mohamed Barakat while Shady Mohamed and striker Emad Moteab are banned for one match for their attempt to assault the referee after the defeat in Tunisia.
Sfaxien, whose captain Anis Boujelbene has postponed a planned transfer to Egypt to help his team's Champions League cause, play away in Ghana on Saturday in Group A's other match against Asante Kotoko.
Group B leaders Enyimba play at home against South Africa's Orlando Pirates on Sunday and have a chance to extend their winning start to the group phase.
Pirates' new coach, Serbian Milutin Sredojevic, is concerned by the Johannesburg-based club's poor start to the new season.
"We are going to have to work hard to reverse this slide," he told reporters on Wednesday.
His comments come after losses in pre-season matches and the dropping of a vital home point in their opening Group B game against Asec Abidjan of the Ivory Coast.
Asec's second game of the group stages is on Sunday at home to Ghana's Hearts of Oak.