Facing their first-ever World Cup quarter-final, Morocco prepare to tackle a free-flowing Portugal side on Saturday with several injury concerns hanging over important players.

Coach Walid Regragui has selected a fairly settled starting XI in Qatar so far; relying on the Atlas Lions' fierce rearguard to keep out some of Europe's most established footballing nations.

However, defensive rocks Nayef Aguerd and Romain Saiss - the latter also captains the side - both sustained injuries against Spain, and the loss of either would present a serious blow to hopes of shutting out new goalscoring sensation Goncalo Ramos and company.

Perhaps even more worrying, midfield fulcrum Sofyan Amrabat - who has drawn plenty of admiring glances from clubs throughout a superb campaign to date - has been playing through pain with a back issue that requires painkilling injections.

If that were not enough, both full-backs picked up knocks earlier in the finals, but penalty shootout hero Achraf Hakimi and Bayern Munich's Noussair Mazraoui still hope to start.

Sampdoria star Abdelhamid Sabiri is perhaps closest to breaking in to an established first XI, but Selim Amallah is favourite to join Azzedine Ounahi and Amrabat in the Moroccan engine room.

Up front, Youssef En-Nesyri has found the net twice so far, and will aim to become the first man to score three World Cup goals for Morocco. The Sevilla striker spearheads a front line also featuring Sofiane Boufal and Chelsea's mercurial playmaker Hakim Ziyech - perhaps Regragui's most creative player - while Barcelona youngster Abde Ezzalzouli is available on the bench.

Morocco possible starting lineup: Bounou; Hakimi, Saiss, El Yamiq, Attyiat-Allah; Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal

> Click here to see how Portugal could line up for this quarter-final clash

Written by
Jonathan O'Shea