Naxxar Lions will be without two of their foreign players for their BOV Premier League clash with Valletta on Sunday after Pablo Doffo and Jorge were given a one-match ban.

Argentine midfielder Doffo was dismissed for two yellow cards in the first half of last weekend’s goalless draw with Sliema Wanderers while Brazilian forward Jorge was sanctioned for four yellow cards.

Suspension will also deprive Valletta of a key player as captain Ryan Fenech was suspended for one match after he collected his fourth caution in the 2-0 victory over Żebbuġ Rangers last weekend.

Pietà Hotspurs defender Christian Grech, banned for four bookings, will have to miss Sunday’s basement clash against Żebbuġ Rangers while Balzan defender Elkin Serrano, sent off in the 4-0 defeat to Hibernians, has been ruled out of Sunday’s league match against Sliema Wanderers.

Transfer moves

Djamel Leeflang and Hillary Ikenna were expected to sign for Valletta yesterday.

Leeflang, a 22-year-old striker from the Netherlands, and Nigerian defender Ikenna, 23, have agreed to join the champions until the end of the season after both left a good impression on coach Ivan Zammit during a trial.

Valletta had been seeking to increase their pool of foreign players after parting ways with Alex Terra, Adrian Zahra, Raphael Kooh Sohna and Hugo Faria in the last few weeks.

A host of trialists failed to match the expectations of Zammit and his assistant Gilbert Agius in the first two weeks of the winter transfer window but the situation changed this week as Valletta awarded contracts to three foreign players.

Besides Leeflang, who was on the books of Dutch club VV Haaglandia, and Ikenna, who last played for Nigerian club Sunshine Stars, Valletta have also acquired Montenegrin midfielder Vladimir Savicevic, the son of former Milan stalwart Dejan Savicevic.