Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira spoke to the media ahead of their QNB Stars League Week 17 match against Al Arabi, dubbed the Qatar Derby.

“Our task is difficult. We play every three days between the league and AFC Champions League. This situation will force us to resort to a policy of rotating the players,” said Ferreira.

Asked whether Qatar international Hassan Al Haydous needed rest in the next game, the Portuguese coach said, “Hassan is not the only one who needs rest. There are 10 other players who need it, and the task is difficult but not impossible. But what makes me reassured is the great motivation of players who seek to win the title and compete for AFC Champions League title as well. That is not impossible since we have already won the Asian title.

“I respect Al Arabi very much, their coach and players. Derbies always witness surprises, so we will not judge Al Arabi by what we saw in their previous games. We have to do our best,” he said.

Ferreira praised Al Sadd’s performance against Al Wasl in the AFC Champions League in Dubai midweek.

“All players showed their potential well even though Al Wasl played without their full squad. In fact, many teams fared well in the first round of group stage,” he added.