Wang Helong's men have lost all five of their opening matches in their first top-flight campaign, and must stop that run quickly to avoid getting cut adrift at the bottom of the table.
They face the side directly above them this weekend and could fall six points behind if Shenxin claim victory.
Top two Guangzhou Evergrande and Beijing Guoan both face away trips, with Marcello Lippi's defending champions travelling to struggling Tianjin Teda on Friday looking to boost their already impressive goal difference.
Beijing's success has been built on defence, and having only conceded once so far they will hope to record a fifth win of the campaign when they face mid-table Guizhou Renhe the same day.
After a strong start, a switch in focus to AFC Champions League action has brought a blip for Lei Gong's side domestically, and Guizhou will not want to slip to a third consecutive league defeat.
