Sliema Wanderers vs Hamrun Spartans (today at 2 p.m., National Stadium).
Sliema Wanderers resume their Premier League commitments with a tricky match against Hamrun Spartans in the weekend's opening fixture.
Although on paper, the Blues appear to have too much firepower for the consistent Spartans, their first-round meeting against Hamrun should suffice to ward off any signs of complacency in the Sliema clan.
The Wanderers' 3-0 win over the Spartans might suggest that they had a trouble-free evening against the newly-promoted side. But in reality, the Blues were rather lucky to win with a three-goal margin as the Spartans proved more than a match for their more-quoted opponents but failed to put away the scoring chances that came their way.
Stephen Azzopardi, the Sliema coach, is expected to be without defender Ian Azzopardi who is nursing a muscle strain while Serbian midfielder Nesko Milovanovic is out with a one-match ban.
Hamrun, who will again be directed from the dug-out by assistant coach Marco Grech as coach Marco Gerada completes a two-match touchline ban, will be without Ryan Fenech, suspended.
John Debattista, Neville Galea and Steve Meilak are all ruled out by injury. On the plus side, Nigerian defender Precious Monye has recovered his fitness as the Spartans look to remain in touch with the teams fighting for a top-six berth.
First round result - Hamrun vs Sliema 0-3.
Floriana vs Mqabba (tomorrow at 12.45 p.m., Tedesco Stadium).
Floriana must be fancying their chances of getting back to winning ways when they face bottom-side Mqabba.
The Greens come into this match on the back of four matches without a win but with high hopes of clinching their first three-pointer in more than two months against an Mqabba side who have lost 10 of the 11 matches played this season.
Danilo Doncic, the Floriana coach, is still uncertain whether to include in his first team Serbian defender Darko Krsteski, Christian Caruana and Mario Caruana, all of whom have yet to regain full fitness.
Defender Julian Briffa and midfielder Mark Gauci are suspended. Zoran Levniac returns after missing the 1-1 draw against Hibs through suspension.
Mqabba coach Joey Falzon has been working hard to lift the spirits of the team after last Wednesday's 4-1 defeat to Birkirkara at the Centenary Stadium.
Against Floriana, Falzon is unable to field his best formation as Brazilian defender Italo Nogueira is out with a muscle injury while Matthew Cocks is down with flu. Mark Anthony Psaila is suspended.
First round result - Mqabba vs Floriana 1-3.
Msida St Joseph vs Pietà Hotspurs (tomorrow at 2.45 p.m., Tedesco Stadium).
This match is a direct clash between two teams keen to pick up valuable points in their bid to avoid another relegation dogfight this season.
At present, four points separate Pietà and Msida, who are second from bottom in the standings. Victory for either side would provide a major boost for their ambitions to close the gap on the teams fighting for a Championship Pool berth.
Having suffered a 5-0 defeat to Marsaxlokk in midweek, Msida know that failure to win all points against Pietà would almost certainly leave them with the grim prospect of playing in the Relegation Pool this season.
Coach Patrick Curmi is boosted by the return from suspension of Priso Doding, Dino Cachia, Stefano Grima and Manuel Bartolo but Andrew Spiteri must serve a one-match ban.
Pietà coach Carmel Busuttil also expects some of his key players, namely Domenic Mifsud and Ryan Camilleri, to receive the medical all-clear to play.
Bulgarian midfielder Svetlan Kondev returns from suspension.
First round result - Pietà vs Msida 0-1.