SC Villa are set to be without key trio Elvis Ngonde, Reagan Mpande, and Diego Missi Semugera when they travel to face rivals Express at Nakivubo Stadium on Thursday.

The absences stem from injuries affecting all three players, with Mpande having only recently returned from AFCON duty alongside the Uganda Cranes national team.

On a positive note for the visitors, defender and midfielder David Owori is back in contention after sitting out SC Villa’s previous match against Calvary last month due to national team commitments.

Express, meanwhile, will have nearly their full squad available, with the sole exception being injured Lawrence Bukenya.

Muhammad Kagawa remains part of the Red Eagles’ setup, even after recent trials with Rwanda’s Rayon Sports.

Currently sitting fourth in the table with 24 points, SC Villa could overtake second-placed KCCA with a victory in this fixture.

The team is widely expected to approach the game with full intensity against an Express side that has been struggling.

Under coach Jimmy Kintu, the hosts are positioned in the lower half of the standings, occupying 11th place with just 12 points from 11 matches.

Express endured consecutive defeats to Maroons and Entebbe UPPC prior to the league’s pause for the AFCON tournament.

Zeljko Kovacevic’s SC Villa hold an 11-point advantage over their opponents and enter the match on the back of a league win against Calvary.

In last season’s corresponding fixture at Nakivubo, Joseph Zziwa netted the decisive goal to secure a narrow victory for Express over SC Villa.