Felipe suspended, Chengdu's local forwards expected to shoulder responsibility, Henan unlikely to block title push but relegation concerns remain

At 19:35 on September 6, Chengdu Rongcheng will face Henan away at Zhengzhou Hanghai Stadium in the 26th round of the Chinese Super League.

After 25 matches, Chengdu Rongcheng have 51 points and lead the second-placed team by 14 points. A victory in this match would allow them to secure the CSL title four rounds early and claim the first top-flight championship trophy in club history.

Yet in this title-clinching match, the player Chengdu Rongcheng can least afford to lose will be unavailable.

Felipe has scored 17 goals and provided 3 assists in 19 league appearances this season, making him the team's most reliable attacking focal point. Against Liaoning Ironman on August 29, he received his fourth yellow card of the season in the 58th minute and was substituted in the 86th minute after a head collision triggered the concussion substitution mechanism.

The CFA-related rules are clear: a player substituted due to concussion cannot return within six calendar days, and this mandatory rest period is calculated separately from yellow and red card suspensions. Transfermarkt administrator Zhu Yi explained that Felipe will first serve the concussion rest period and miss the September 6 match against Henan, then serve his four-yellow-card suspension and miss the October 10 match against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. Neither suspension can be avoided.

Chengdu Rongcheng head coach John Aloisi is under pressure before the match. Even if the team wins the title, his contract renewal prospects remain uncertain. With the top scorer sidelined by two separate rules, he must find an attacking plan without Felipe for the away match.

The positive news is that Aloisi still has available options.

Baihelamu has made 25 CSL appearances this season, including eight starts, and scored four goals. Each goal was important: he scored a stoppage-time header to equalize against Chongqing Tonglianglong in the third-round Sichuan-Chongqing derby; he scored a solo goal in the 90th minute against Henan in round 11 in a 3-0 win; and he scored a stoppage-time winner two minutes after coming on against Zhejiang in round 23 to complete a 3-2 comeback and end a seven-match winless run. Chengdu won all four matches in which he scored, directly contributing nine league points.

Wang Ziming has recently started several consecutive matches and is in strong form, with his aggressive pressing creating a goal in the previous round. As captain, Wei Shihao's wing dribbling and crossing remain important weapons, and he scored against Henan in the first meeting. Foreign player Romulo continues to provide quality service from the wing.

Aloisi said before the match: "The substitutes are in good form and have the ability to score." Tencent Sports' predicted lineup places Wang Ziming as the central striker, with Wei Shihao and Romulo supporting from both wings, while Baihelamu waits on the bench.

In other words, without Felipe, Rongcheng's attack changes from a "focal-point style" to a "quick penetration style." They lose the high point in the box who can hold up play and create chances, but gain more threats from the wings.

Henan face a completely different situation.

After 25 rounds, Henan have 25 points and sit 12th, only six points above the relegation zone with one match in hand. They have drawn two and lost three of their last five league matches without a win. On September 12 at 19:35, Henan will face Wuhan Three Towns away in a genuine six-point relegation battle.

Henan head coach Ramos has not yet renewed his contract, and he and his team know that survival is the top priority.

Facing Chengdu at home, Henan's tactical approach is realistic: securing one point would be a victory. Gustavo has scored four goals in his last two matches, while Nasario has provided three assists in two games, so Henan still have attacking threats. However, their biggest weakness is defense, which is the main reason behind their five-match winless streak.

Henan defeated Chengdu in all three meetings last year across the league and FA Cup, making them a genuine troublesome opponent for Rongcheng. But in the first meeting this year, Henan lost 0-3 at home, without a key foreign player like Acheampong and with a much poorer overall condition.

Ramos' team is not thinking about stopping Chengdu's title celebrations, but about avoiding further injuries before the September 12 away match against Three Towns. An all-out attacking approach could risk injuries or suspensions to key players and make the relegation battle harder.

At Hanghai Stadium, the voices saying "do not allow Rongcheng to win the title at our home ground" are growing. Henan fans' desire not to become a backdrop is understandable. But Henan's players are saving physical and mental energy for the Three Towns match five days later.

Since July, Chengdu Rongcheng have won only one of eight league matches, including a run of five consecutive draws, and Shanghai Shenhua scored five goals against them in a single home match. Titan Sports Weekly reported that the team's midfield and defense were disconnected, many goals came from their own mistakes, and players lacked experience in key title-deciding matches, making them prone to anxiety under pressure.

Felipe's suspension makes an already struggling attack even more difficult.

The CSL official's round 25 review confirmed that Rongcheng can secure the title four rounds early if they win away this round. The condition is clear, but the word "win" is not simple given Felipe's suspension, inconsistent team form and Henan's home advantage.

On September 5, matches involving Beijing Guoan, Qingdao West Coast, Dalian Yingbo and Shandong Taishan will all be played first. This means Rongcheng will know the results of all challengers before taking the field on September 6.

Dalian Yingbo is a special variable. They have the same 37 points as Rongcheng and won 2-0 at home in the first meeting, holding the head-to-head advantage. If Rongcheng draw with Henan and Dalian defeat Qingdao Hainiu at home, Rongcheng cannot secure the title early.

There has never been a case in CSL history where a team led by 14 points with five matches remaining eventually lost the title. A lead of this size only carries a theoretical possibility of being overturned. But the theoretical possibility and whether the suspense can actually end four rounds early in Zhengzhou are two different matters.

Chengdu Rongcheng have already released ticket information for the September 6 match, and fan groups are organizing away support in Zhengzhou. After the previous round, Wei Shihao held a megaphone and shouted to the stands: "Bring the championship back to Chengdu."

Baihelamu, Wang Ziming, Wei Shihao and Romulo will determine Chengdu Rongcheng's fate at Hanghai Stadium. One may need to take the lead as a center forward in an official match for the first time, one must take more finishing responsibility from familiar wing positions, and one must be ready to come from the bench for another decisive moment.

Henan's Gustavo and Nasario will not easily give way either. Until the 25-point relegation warning is lifted, Henan will not surrender at home.

Before the match begins, the gap of 51 points versus 25 points represents two completely different battles. One side is close to its first championship in club history, while the other remains trapped in a difficult relegation fight. Felipe can only watch from the stands as the title-clinching match he cannot participate in unfolds. The two restraints of concussion rest and four-yellow-card suspension keep him in the stands until the October 10 match against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, when he can return.

This night at Zhengzhou Hanghai Stadium will show whether Baihelamu and his teammates can take up the role that was supposed to belong to Felipe.

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