As the gatekeeper of Wuhan's three towns, Liu Dianzuo is undoubtedly the mainstay of the team's defense; and in the layout of the back line, coach Pedro will follow the usual practice, perhaps abandoning his traditional three center backs system. According to speculation, the three center backs will be locked into Zhang Xiaobin, Liu Yiming and Gao Junyi.
As for the midfield, He Chao, a former Evergrande midfielder, will undoubtedly be a key player in intercepting and cleaning up Wuhan's backfield; the double back partner alongside him is none other than foreigner Stancho. It is expected that the young talent Xu Hao Yang will join hands with Deng Hanwen in the U23 position, playing the role of midfield free man flexibly. He is capable of playing as a winger in the attack as well as a defensive winger, playing a vital role in the transition between offense and defense.
As for the attacking line, Malcolm is duty-bound to shoulder the responsibility of charging for the three Wuhan towns; and he will be accompanied by a trident consisting of two Brazilian veterans, Davidson and Edmilson.
Accordingly, Wuhan Three Town's expected starting lineup to face Shandong Luneng is expected to be as follows: Liu Dengzuo; Zhang Xiaobin, Liu Yiming, Gao Junyi; Deng Hanwen, He Chao, Stanchu, Xu Hoyang (U23); Malcolm, Davidson, Edmilson.
