Consecutive losses of key players! Injury-plagued Shenhua heads north to Workers' Stadium, betting on new midfield combination

Special contribution/Gan Hui Shenhua, with multiple key players injured and unavailable, is about to travel north to Beijing Workers' Stadium, where they have previously suffered consecutive defeats, to face Beijing Guoan. The "Beijing-Shanghai clash" starting at 15:30 on March 21 will be a hurdle for Shenhua.

Last season, Shenhua was plagued by injuries. It is no exaggeration to say that injuries were one of the biggest obstacles preventing Shenhua from winning the league championship last season. At the start of this season, Shenhua has again suffered consecutive losses of key players. After just two league matches, nearly half of the main squad has suffered injuries of varying degrees.

In the first league match against Dalian Yingbo, Li Ke and Zhu Chenjie were successively substituted due to injuries. Subsequently, during training preparing for the Zhejiang team match, Guy suffered a muscle strain. After active treatment and rehabilitation, Zhu Chenjie managed to participate in the match against Zhejiang and played the full game. However, Guy, Mineiro, Li Ke, and Jiang Shenglong, four key players, were all absent due to injuries, significantly impacting both offense and defense.

When it rains, it pours. In the 54th minute of the match against Zhejiang, Wu Xi was injured during a defensive action and was replaced by Yang Haoyu, adding another name to Shenhua's injury list.

Over these seasons, Wu Xi's role in the Shenhua team has been no less important than that of foreign players. He holds an irreplaceable position in Slutsky's tactical system and is currently the team's spiritual leader on the field. After Wu Xi was injured and substituted in the match against Zhejiang, Shenhua's offense and defense became quite chaotic, and Zhejiang ultimately equalized the score.

According to Slutsky's introduction, Mineiro, who suffered a strain in the AFC Champions League Elite League match against Thailand's Buriram United in mid-February, might join team training this week. At the pre-match press conference for the Zhejiang game, Slutsky said: "Currently, we have three core players with injuries of varying degrees. Regarding Mineiro, we hope he can join team training next week. As for Guy, his situation is somewhat more complex. He was injured during training, and it's not yet clear when he will fully recover. For Li Ke's situation, we have tried every possible method hoping for his early recovery, but based on the current condition, it still requires time."

Even if Mineiro recovers and returns, Shenhua's loss of key personnel remains severe, especially in crucial positions along the central axis. Additionally, due to receiving two yellow cards turning into a red and being sent off in the match against Zhejiang, Yang Haoyu will also miss the match against Beijing Guoan. Shenhua's midfield, which had the deepest talent reserve, suddenly faces a personnel shortage. Slutsky might deploy a completely new midfield combination.

On July 19, 2025, Shenhua defeated Beijing Guoan 3-1 at Workers' Stadium. At that time, the opponent's season unbeaten record, their 24-match unbeaten streak across seasons in all competitions, and their 12 consecutive wins against Shenhua at Workers' Stadium were all ended.

In that match, usually conservative Slutsky made targeted tactical arrangements and substitution adjustments. After the start, Shenhua focused on attacking behind the opponent's two central defenders. Wu Xi's goal was a successful example of this tactic. Towards the end of the first half, Shenhua's midfield showed signs of losing control. Slutsky immediately used the halftime break to substitute Amadu and Xu Haoyang. Amadu and Li Ke paired as double defensive midfielders, while Wu Xi and Xu Haoyang played as left and right wingers respectively, thus stabilizing the midfield and ultimately securing the victory.

In last weekend's match against Zhejiang, Shenhua also conducted focused research on the opponent's strengths and weaknesses and made corresponding arrangements. In attack, Shenhua emphasized control around the penalty arc. Teixeira's goal was scored via a long-range shot after securing a second ball in this area. Looking at the entire match, Shenhua did well in limiting Zhejiang's key players Mitrice and Wang Yudong. Throughout the first half, Wang Yudong was almost invisible, and whenever Mitrice held the ball, two Shenhua players would restrict him.

Slutsky, discussing tactical arrangements, said: "Before every match, we try every possible method to make corresponding arrangements and deployments based on the opponent's situation. Our core principle is to utilize our strengths to counter the opponent. Of course, whether our squad is complete or has missing personnel, our goal is to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses."

For the upcoming match against Beijing Guoan, although Shenhua will still have multiple core key players unable to participate, if they can "maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses" as they did in last year's away match against Guoan and this season's away match against Zhejiang, Shenhua does not lack opportunities. Against Zhejiang, considering the entire match process, Shenhua actually had more clear chances. Shenhua, missing nearly half of its main squad, only brought back one point from Hangzhou, which is somewhat regrettable.

After concluding the match against Zhejiang, Shenhua drove back from Hangzhou to Shanghai that same night, actively preparing for the weekend's focal clash against Beijing Guoan.