Valletta duo Camilleri, Bondin change club

Msida St Joseph vs Valletta (today at 2 p.m., National Stadium

Valletta are still unbeaten in the league but today the champions will be determined to return to winning ways at the expense of Championship Pool hopefuls Msida St Joseph following the rather opaque performance in their previous outing where they were held to a one-all draw by a lively Birkirkara team.

Coach Paul Zammit will certainly demand a more accomplished performance from his players against a team that in the last few years proved to be a tricky hurdle for the Lilywhites.

Victory for the second-placed Citizens is a must as they look to close the gap to leaders Hibs to a single point.

Valletta parted with utility players David Camilleri (Tarxien) and Jonathan Bondin (Ħamrun) yesterday but Zammit can still rely on a valid squad with the likes of Paulo Massaro, Ian Zammit, Stefan Giglio and Josef Mifsud all pressing for a first-team recall as all were overlooked for the match against Birkirkara.

Msida will be without their danger man Pedro Calcado. The Brazilian forward is ruled out with a one-match ban.

However, Joe Abdilla's team, who won three of their last four matches, will be looking to add more points to their tally to guarantee themselves a slot in the Championship Pool.

First round: Valletta vs Msida St Joseph 2-1.

Birkirkara vs Ħamrun Spartans (today at 4 p.m., National Stadium)

With confidence fully restored, Birkirkara will fancy their chances of picking up maximum spoils against Ħamrun Spartans today. The Stripes boldly underlined their status as genuine championship conten-ders with a polished display against Valletta on Monday.

Consistency is the key to spearhead a strong push for the honours and victory over the struggling Spartans will be a clear signal that the Stripes are ready to pounce if the other contenders slip up.

John Buttigieg, the Birkirkara coach, is sweating on the fitness of Trevor Cilia and Jonathan Holland who picked up knocks against Valletta. Joseph Zerafa is suspended.

On the plus side, the Stripes will have more resources to rely on following the arrival of Italian defender Mauro Di Lello and Bulgarian forward Kiril Mihaylov, both until the end of the season.

Last weekend, Ħamrun had little to smile about after crashing to a disappointing 4-0 defeat to Tarxien Rainbows.

Coach Steve D'Amato is hopeful his team will put behind them their shambolic defensive performance against the Rainbows as they look to pick up valuable points against the Stripes.

Jonathan Bondin, ex-Valletta, could help in this aspect after finalising a loan move yesterday.

Today, the Spartans welcome Rupert Mangion back in their fold. He missed the Tarxien match with 'flu but brothers Ryan and Roderick Fenech are out with a one-match ban.

First round: Ħamrun Spartans vs Birkirkara 0-1.

Sliema Wanderers vs Tarxien Rainbows (tomorrow at 1 p.m., Hibs Ground)

Sliema Wanderers are favourites to seal their place in the Championship Pool when facing bottom-placed Tarxien Rainbows.

After a bright start, the Blues hit a rocky patch with only one win from their last five matches. Sliema are yet to assure themselves of a place in the top six.

Their task will be anything but easy tomorrow as they face a rejuvinated Tarxien side who left a good impression in the 4-0 beating of Ħamrun Spartans.

Noel Coleiro's team will also bank on the experience of latest recruit David Camilleri.

The veteran midfielder beat the transfer deadline yesterday to leave Valletta and sign for the Rainbows where his desire to have more playing time is likely to be fulfilled.

Coleiro is expected to make few changes to the team that humbled the Spartans. Camilleri should start but striker Andrew Decesare is still nursing a knee injury.

Sliema will be without defender Jeffrey Chetcuti who must serve a one-match ban.

However, new signing Sam Furfaro, a young Italian defender, could be in line for a place in the starting formation.

First round: Tarxien Rainbows vs Sliema Wanderers 2-4.