The 36-year-old striker joined the Alexandria side from Ahli in January and he already impressed manager Taha Basri during the winter preparation camp.

"He looked sharp during the preparations. He is ready for Al-Hodoud," Basri told FilGoal.com.

Ittihad's second new-signing, Ahmed Zaghloul, won't feature in the derby of the coast city due to lack of fitness.

Midfielder Khamis Gaafar is ready for the game despite collecting a knock last week.

No Relegation

Ittihad are in the bottom of the table with 11 points, two behind Cement Suez and Baladeya.

Though, Basri is confident the team won't be playing in the second division next season.

"We have good players and will stay in the Premier League," he said.

"Ittihad will beat Al-Hodoud, the three points will be ours."

The Premier League was halted for about 50 days because of the African Cup of Nations.

Egypt won the title for a record sixth time after edging past Cameroon in the final.