After some disappointing results helped Zamalek close to within two wins of the title, Ahly opted to rest some of their key players to have them fresh for next season.

The Red Devils stuttered in their first few matches under Soares but have relatively improved of late, recording three consecutive wins -- two in the league and one in the Egypt Cup. They will be eyeing another win when they meet Eastern Company on Wednesday.

However, doubts linger over whether Soares will be the man to lead Ahly next season.

The Portuguese only arrived in late June, succeeding the highly-successful Pitso Mosimane, but has yet to find a formula that can be convincing to Ahly's ever-demanding fans.

Although Ahly beat lowly Maqassa 1-0 to reach the Egypt Cup quarter-final last Sunday, they struggled to break down their opponents and only advanced virtue of a stoppage-time penalty from defender Rami Rabia.

Reports suggested that Ahly have already lined-up replacements for Soares but he is still likely to carry on should the team show notable progress in their final five matches of the season.

Eastern Company are likely to prove stiff opponents as they continue to fight relegation. They lie third from bottom with 28 points, on level with 15th-placed Gouna and two points behind 14th-placed Ghazl El-Mahalla in a fierce battle to stay in the top flight.

Soares is expected to continue to experiment with some youth players, with Malian midfielder Aliou Dieng becoming the latest player to be given rest for the rest of the season.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)