The absence of players due to international duty has raised questions about Zesco United's defence, but Mr. Andrés Rincón, a fan of Zesco based in the city of Cúcuta in his native Colombia, along the Venezuelan border, expects the Zesco attack to lead the team past Nkana, in what he says should be a "routine victory" for Zesco.
It is not often Zesco United head into a game worrying too much about their opponents instead of focusing on their own game. It has now happened three times in three games.
Still reeling from the 2-0 beating handed to them in a brutal CAF African Champions League semi-final second leg by Pitso Mosimane's Mamelodi Sundowns, there is no respite as they host Nkana FC in what is guaranteed to be an intense clash.
George Lwandamina's Zesco United play in a fashion not far removed from Guardiola's style of keeping the ball and pressing high up the pitch.
In some performances, like the 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid on Oct. 23, they played with high intensity. Will that be enough to scare Nkana? Zesco United are missing several players, including half their first choice defence in Kondwani Mtonga and Simon Silwimba, while goalkeeper Jacob Banda, and Jackson Mwanza are also unavailable. The one decision Luis Enrique has to make before the game is who to use in midfield in Jacob Banda's place.
Lameck Nyangu was picked in the reverse fixture, with the stand-in goalkeeper doing fairly well. Ayo Oluwafemi and Daut Musekwa are likely to come back into the side.
But what will concern the coach is how Nkwazi, Zanaco, and Green Buffaoes managed to freeze out the forward line of John Chin'gandu, Mwape Mwelwa, and Jesse Were.
Zesco United have players with the quality to settle any game on their own terms, regardless of the effort or performance the opponents put in, but only if they are playing at their best. They did that in the first leg against Sundowns.