Harare giants Dynamos will be missing as many as nine players when they take on Chicken Inn in a rescheduled match at Rufaro Stadium this afternoon.
DeMbare are lagging behind in terms of matches played due to their participation in the Caf Confederation Cup where they failed to reach the lucrative group dtages.
The Glamour Boys are 22 points behind log leaders Simba Bhora on 38 points from 27 matches. They have played two matches less and still have a mathematical chance of winning the league title.
Apart from vice captain Emmanuel Jalai and goalkeeper Martin Mapisa who are on international duty with the Warriors, Dynamos will be without forwards Freddy Alick and Emmanuel Paga due to suspension.
Five more players including Shadreck Nyahwa, Keith Madera, Eli Illunga and Sadney Urikhob remain out of the team injured.
“Chicken Inn are a difficult opponent, we should prepare accordingly and we have some absentees due to national duty, suspensions and injuries. That means we are decimated in terms of numbers. "But we registered 30 players and we believe that they are capable of taking over the mantle and prove a point," coach Lloyd Chigowe said.
“We will go with a positive mind and make sure we get the correct results. We believe we have worked out a solution, which we can’t divulge in terms of details, but I believe it will work out as we seek to get goals," he added.
Chigowe, whose side is still smarting from the derby defeat to archrivals CAPS United, face a difficult week in which they will also play Yadah FC in the Chibuku Cup midweek before entertaining Arenel next weekend.
"It’s going to be a very difficult seven days for us as we are set to play Chicken Inn, Yadah and Arenel. We are supposed to fulfill these three fixtures within seven days, which is quite taxing on the boys," he said.
Today's opponents Chicken Inn are a point above Dynamos with 39 points from 28 matches.
The Joey Antipas-coached side, who sit in seventh place on the log standings, have not enjoyed the best of form in recent weeks and have won just one out of their last six matches.
They have not beaten Dynamos in the last four meetings where they have lost three times and drew once.
The reverse fixture of this tie which was played in May ended in a goalless draw.