After 11 rounds of the Chinese Super League, both Shanghai Port and Shanghai Shenhua—who finished as champions and runners-up in the past two seasons—are facing serious challenges. One team is plagued by a lengthy injury list, while the other is struggling with the impact of red and yellow cards. As a result, neither club has been able to field a full squad of five foreign players, and this situation is expected to persist until the summer transfer window opens.
In the first three rounds of the season, Shenhua looked unstoppable, winning every match, including a perfect April. However, May has been a stark contrast. Gueye suffered a severe injury in the match against Chengdu Rongcheng, effectively ending his season. The situation for “Long” is also unclear, with him likely sidelined for at least the first half of the campaign. The second half remains to be seen. Shenhua’s biggest headache, however, is their foreign striker Mineiro. His injuries have been unpredictable, and the club’s medical staff have been unable to find a solution. He got hurt in an AFC Champions League match, then again during a game against Beijing Guoan after 70 minutes, and suffered another setback in training before the first round. In just three months, he has been injured three times. Adding to the frustration, Mineiro was spotted by fans eating fries while watching a match and enjoying ice cream during his downtime. While these actions are minor, some supporters have used them as fuel for criticism.
Ahead of the match against Yunnan Yukun this week, Shenhua will be without Manafa due to suspension, and Gao Tianyi is also unavailable. Among long-term injured players, naturalized midfielder Li Ke remains out. Teixeira has also been injured twice this season.
For Shanghai Port, the long-term absentee is Gabriel, whose return this season seems highly unlikely. Meireles may return during the summer window. Meanwhile, three other foreign players—Claude, Leonardo, and Anpem—have been in and out of the lineup due to injuries. Anpem also received a red card in previous rounds. Combined with Wumitijiang’s red card, Port has collected two red cards in the first 11 matches. However, Anpem’s dismissal has had limited impact on the team, as there are plenty of replacements for him. His performance has not yet lived up to the level expected of a foreign player.
Among the domestic players at Port, those who have missed matches due to injury include Jiang Guangtai, Wang Shenchao, Wang Zhen’ao, Lu Yongtao, Liu Ruofan, Kuai Jiwen, Li Xinxiang, and others. On a positive note, several players like Jiang Guangtai, Wang Zhen’ao, Liu Ruofan, and Li Xinxiang have recently recovered from injuries and returned to action, reducing the number of absentees.
