Al Shabab suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Saudis in Dammam two weeks ago and must defeat the Group D leaders if they want to maintain their hopes of qualifying for the next round.

Al Shabab coach Toninho Cerezo will be trying to lift the spirit of his team after also seeing them beaten in the final of the UAE President’s Cup by Al Ain.

However, the Brazilian has concerns about the availability of Zimbabwean striker Musawekosi Mguni, who injured his knee in last Friday’s 2-2 draw against Al Nasr in the UAE League, while there are questions about who will fill in for injured goalkeeper Ismail Rabee.

“We are looking forward to the game on Tuesday,” said Cerezo.

“We are playing at home and have a good opportunity to get back into contention in the group after our previous defeat.

“A win will keep us in the competition and we will still have a chance to qualify from the group. The players know how important the game is and we have asked them to concentrate more on the competition.

“We must concentrate on the AFC Champions League because it will be a chance for us to prove that we are good. I’m confident that we can get good results for the UAE.”

Ettifaq arrived in Dubai on Sunday without midfielder Sultan Al Bargan who has remained in Dammam due to a groin injury while there are also doubts about the fitness of defender Rashed Al Raheeb.

Ettifaq are hoping to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Saudi league champions Al Ittihad in the King’s Cup last Friday.

“We have some injuries in the team and this has caused a lot of problems for us in the previous game,” said Ettifaq’s Romanian coach Ioan Andonie.

“We are looking for a victory although the game will be difficult because we are playing in Dubai where Al Shabab will have home advantage.

“But a victory will be a big boost to qualifying from this group.”