St. George will be at full strength when they host the first ever African Champions League group stage match on Ethiopian soil against Esperance du Tunis at the Addis Ababa Stadium Tuesday.
The Horsemen welcome back three key players they missed in their barren draw away to defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria in day one fixtures.
They will however miss Mart Noolj on the touchline after the Dutch gaffer took medical leave.
Salhadin Said, who is the leading top scorer in the ultimate club championship in Africa with five goals, is expected to start against the Tunisian heavyweights after serving a one-match suspension.
The Ethiopian international, has enjoyed a superb form this season scoring goals at will.
He boasts 15 goals to his credit in the current Ethiopian Premier League campaign, which greately helped St. George bag a record 14th title last week.
Mentesnote Adane who was red carded against AC Leopards in Brazzaville is also making a return after serving a two-match ban and so is winger Behailu Assefa, who has recovered from an injury.
Esperance clobbered AS Vita of Congo DR 3-1 in their opening group C match in Tunis and will be gunning for maximum points to maintain group lead.
To achieve this, they will have to find a formula to beat St. George’s watertight defense that is yet to let in a goal in the competition; the horsemen have also gone four matches without conceding in the domestic league.
Like St. George, Esperance were last week crowned Tunisian champions after beating their arch rivals Etoile du Sahel.
