After the international hiatus, players will return to the nitty-gritty of Premier League football this weekend.
Valletta are itching to reacquaint themselves with the winning feeling after they lost their unbeaten record with a 3-1 reverse to Birkirkara in their last match.
Trailing Hibs by four points, the Citizens appreciate the importance of collecting maximum points from their next match but they are equally aware that their task promises to be anything but a stroll in the park, what with a clash with bitter rivals Floriana awaiting them this afternoon (kick-off 5).
On the surface, Valletta look to have what it takes to extend their perfect record over a Floriana side that have lost their last four league matches but past form usually counts for nothing in derbies.
Floriana, now under the charge of Tony Alamango after they sacked Brazilian coach Antonio Carlos Vieira last week, will doubtless be relishing the prospect of ending their poor run with a victory over the Citizens for whom a defeat today would put another dent in their bid to retain the Premier League title.
Valletta coach Paul Zammit is backing his team to bounce back from the Birkirkara upset.
"After our defeat to Birkirkara, we will resume our league campaign with a derby against Floriana," Zammit said. "I wouldn't say that there is more pressure on us now than there was before because the pressure has been high since day one.
"I don't think that our upset to Birkirkara has changed the landscape because even before that match, we knew that to win the league we had to win the direct clashes with Hibs.
"The margin of error has diminished but we're still very much in contention for the title.
"Now is the time for the team to show its character and this is exactly what we intend to do against Floriana. The players know they must roll up their sleeves and give everything to the cause. We are determined to keep challenging for the title till the bitter end."
The City coach can't bank on a full complement today. Cleaven Frendo had surgery on ruptured cruciate ligaments at a renowned Belgian clinic earlier this week. The Malta winger is out for the rest of the season as rehabilitation from this type of injury normally takes six months.
Midfielder Stefan Giglio is also out of the picture as he continues his recovery from a dislocated shoulder.
Zammit is under no illusions as to the difficulty of today's match. "This is my fourth year with Valletta and I know from experience that derbies against Floriana are usually tight and fractious affairs, irrespective of the positions of the two teams in the table," the Valletta coach observed.
"This fixture means so much to both camps. I'm expecting a tough game and it's important that we return to the level of performance we reached before the Birkirkara match."
Twelve points behind their rivals and with their hopes of a top-three position fading fast, Floriana have little to play for bar pride but that's saying something when their adversaries are Valletta.
Alamango will have a baptism of fire as Floriana coach but he's undaunted by it.
"I see it as an interesting challenge because we're going to face a very good team," Alamango said.
"I believe in my squad. I'm heartened by the commitment of the players during training in the past two weeks. The atmosphere is upbeat and I'm confident that we can give Valletta a good run for their money."
Floriana's optimism ahead of today's derby has been tempered by the news that German goalkeeper Steffen Suessner will probably miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury. Apart from Suessner, Alamango has no other selection worries.
Faced with a question about Floriana's dip in form in the last two months, Alamango replied: "I don't think that the players lost motivation after the team reached its Championship Pool objective. For sure, Floriana have had an up-and-down season so far.
"The club went through two coaches and it's not easy to achieve stability when you have many changes.
"After the first coach (Zoran Popovic) left, the club appointed a Brazilian coach who had a different philosophy on the team's style. I'd say that the team's decline in the last few months owes to a combination of factors but that is in the past now."
Previous results - Valletta vs Floriana 2-1, 1-0.
The other matches
Tarxien Rainbows vs Ħamrun Spartans (today at 3 p.m., National Stadium)
Ħamrun Spartans and Tarxien Rainbows will be looking to make another step towards survival by taking maximum points from their direct encounter this afternoon.
The two strugglers have had a smooth build-up for this match after opening their Relegation Pool campaign with a win. Tarxien edged Qormi 2-1 and the Spartans trounced Msida 3-0 to take their tally of points to 12, two more than their immediate opponents.
Stephen D'Amato, the Ħamrun coach, can't stick with the 11 players who started the win over Msida as defender Roderick Fenech and midfielder Manolito Micallef are ruled out with suspension. Aaron Attard is still sidelined with injury.
Tarxien coach Noel Coleiro has no selection problems. Striker Warren Chircop, a starting member of the Malta U-21 team that lost 2-0 to Slovenia earlier this week, is available after serving a one-match ban.
Previous results - Tarxien vs Ħamrun 1-1, 4-0.
Msida St Joseph vs Qormi (tomorrow at 3 p.m., National Stadium)
Victory is a must for Msida and Qormi to bolster their chances of avoiding relegation as well as their flailing morale.
Msida are desperate to get back to winning ways after a run of five consecutive defeats not only wrecked their erstwhile bright prospects of making the top six but dragged them into the relegation mire.
Coach Joe Abdilla must make do without Tyrone Farrugia tomorrow as the lanky defender is suspended.
Bottom of the table with eight points, Qormi know that failure to beat Msida would further undermine their hopes of avoiding an immediate return to Division One.
Coach Jesmond Zerafa can't pick his best formation. Joseph Chetcuti is suspended and Clifton Ciantar is on a work assignment overseas. Stephen Wellman is doubtful.
Previous results - Msida vs Qormi 1-1, 1-0.
Birkirkara vs Marsaxlokk (tomorrow at 5 p.m., National Stadium)
Their confidence sky-high after a 3-1 win over champions Valletta, Birkirkara will be looking to stay in the hunt for the title with another three-point haul from their clash with Marsaxlokk.
John Buttigieg, the Birkirkara coach, was expected to assess the fitness of Shaun Bajada during training yesterday after the wing-back picked up a knock during Malta's 3-0 defeat to Hungary in midweek.
Defender Lee Lombardi is now training regularly after recovering from a hernia operation but he's still out of the reckoning.
After securing their place in the Championship Pool with a 2-1 win over Msida in their last match of the first phase, Marsaxlokk have suffered back-to-back defeats in their opening two top-six matches.
Marsaxlokk coach Patrick Curmi is hindered by the absence through suspension of midfielder Christian Cassar. Dylan Kokavessis is out of the equation with a cartilage injury.
Malcolm Licari is struggling to shake off an ankle problem but is expected to be fit to play tomorrow. Goalkeeper Reuben Debono is also set to make his comeback after recuperating from injury.
Previous results - Birkirkara vs Marsaxlokk 1-1, 2-3.
Sliema Wanderers vs Hibernians (Monday at 7.30 p.m., National Stadium)
Hibs are gearing up for their clash with Sliema Wanderers safe in the knowledge that their standing as sole leaders of the Premier League is not in jeopardy, even if title rivals Valletta and Birkirkara win their matches this weekend.
Mark Miller has no injury worries. Andrew Cohen, Jonathan Caruana and Terrence Scerri reported back from international duty in good health yesterday.
Sliema are not in the title race but their morale is high after their 3-0 win over Marsaxlokk a fortnight ago.
Coach Stephen Azzopardi is not expected to make drastic changes from the team he fielded for the Marsaxlokk game. Costa Rican striker Victor Ortega Coto (shoulder), Branko Nisevic (calf) and Mark Scerri (knee) are on the casualty list for Sliema while defender Ian Ciantar is doubtful with a knee problem.
Previous results - Sliema vs Hibs 3-2, 0-1.