KARACHI: How do you cope with the departures of your three key players?

That question is what three-time defending champions Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) face as the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) kicks off on Saturday.

It’s been a difficult 10 months for Tariq Lutfi’s side, losing star striker Kaleemullah, winger Mohammad Adil and midfield dynamo Saddam Hussain to Kyrgyz giants since winning their third consecutive title in February.

“Of course their departures have hit the team hard but KRL is proud to have groomed players of such caliber that they have been snapped up by foreign clubs,” Lutfi told Dawn on Friday.

“Retaining our title will be difficult but this it the ultimate test me, my team management and the players have to go through.

“Our rivals may think that we wouldn’t be the same team [which has dominated the league for the last three years], but I hope the players will rise up to the occasion.”

The four-time winners kick off their campaign in the second phase of the league with Lutfi facing his former side Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Oct 14.

The first phase runs from Saturday till Oct 1. The second phase, meanwhile, begins from Oct 12, lasting till Oct 31.

The final phase starts from Nov 5 with the last game of the league set to see KRL facing last season’s runners-up K-Electric on Jan 10 next year.

KRL’s task of replacing Kaleem, Adil and Saddam was made even more difficult when Jadeed Khan Pathan’s move from Afghan FC broke down.

Jadeed had agreed personal terms with KRL but Afghan FC blocked the transfer.

Like KRL, another four-time champions Wapda also saw a key player leaving for better pastures abroad.

Wapda, who finished third last year, saw key defender Mohammed Ahmed leave for Bahrain’s second-tier side Isa Town last month.

Last season’s PPFL saw one of the closest title races in years with the top three separated by just six points.

But the departure of key personnel from their main rivals has led K-Electric to believe the title is theirs for the taking.

“I’d like to think we’re the favourites,” K-Electric’s head of sports Zabe Khan told Dawn on Friday.

“Both KRL and Wapda will be weakened as they have lost key players so I think this is our best chance [to win a maiden PPFL title].”

And unlike their two main rivals, K-Electric have bolstered their ranks by adding another Nigerian youngster in Wilson.

Last season, K-Electric had brought in Nigerian striker Oludeyi Abayomi Sunday but they face a race against time to get NOCs for them to play in the first phase.

They will, however, be out in the PPFL opener against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at the KPT Stadium on Saturday, Zabe confirmed.

“I hope we can get their NOC’s in time but if they don’t make it in the first phase [where K-Electric play three matches], they will be playing in the second phase and spur our title bid,” he added.

NBP avoided relegation to the second-division PFF League with a victory in their final match last season.

That victory came courtesy a stunning strike by Farooq Shah that sealed a 1-0 win against Pakistan Army and secured their PPFL status.

But the 2013 National Challenge Cup winners will be missing their inspirational striker this season.

“Farooq will not be able to feature this season as he needs rest [to recover from a fracture suffered in the Challenge Cup],” NBP head-coach Nasir Ismail told Dawn on Friday.

“But we have a good mix of senior and junior players and hopefully the will come good against K-Electric as we hope to start the season on a positive note,” Nasir, who will be missing influential anchorman Faisal Iqbal for the first phase, added.

Meanwhile, there is a change in the dugout for National Challenge Cup champions Pakistan Air Force (PAF) with head-coach Shahzad Anwar being replaced by Aslam Khan.

Shahzad led PAF to a fourth-place finish last year and Army, PIA and Muslim FC will be likely challengers for them in the battle to finish in the top five.

Karachi Port Trust (KPT) will hope that last season’s top-scorer Mohammad Bin Younis once again finds his scoring boots as they look to improve on their eight-place finish last season.

Pakistan Railways and Baloch FC Quetta, meanwhile, face a battle for survival as the two promoted teams with the league having been reduced to 12 teams from 16 last season to ensure more competitiveness.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2014