Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Essa has warned the Arabian Gulf League leaders not to expect an easy ride at lowly Al Dhafra.

The champions face the long trip to Madinat Zayed tomorrow to face a team who have recently crawled outside the relegation zone.

“It will not be an easy match,” UAE No1 Essa said. “A lot of people look at Al Dhafra near the bottom, but it will not be easy.”

The Boss’ cause should be boosted by the availability of new signing Danilo Asprilla, with the winger expected to be registered in time.

Meanwhile, upheaval at Thursday’s opponents Sharjah has caused concern for Al Shabab boss Caio Junior.

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The King are expected to be busy during the transfer window and are adjusting to life under interim coach Abdulaziz Al Anbari.

Caio said: “Sharjah poses a different challenge. They are creating a new team, this is an obstacle.”

Al Nasr’s Ivan Jovanovic is aware ex-charges such as Brett Holman, Renan Garcia and Helal Saeed will be fired up tomorrow when the title chasers travel to Emirates Club.

He said: “We have great respect for all ex-players of Al Nasr.”

There will be no lack of respect from Al Wahda when they host promoted club Dibba Al Fujairah tonight, according to goalkeeper Ali Al Hosani.

He said: “Dibba have a good team. To win, we must respect them.”