Al Ahly's Injury Blow: Four Players Out of CAF Clash in Rabat

Injury Update and Squad Status

Al Ahly announced that four players will miss the trip to Morocco for Friday's CAF Champions League clash with AS FAR Rabat, the second round of Group B.

According to the club doctor, Mohamed El Shennawy has a Grade II hamstring strain diagnosed after the match with JS Kabylie in the group stage. Ahmed Abdelkader has a partial tear in the hamstring, and Mohamed Shikri shows a Grade I calf strain.

Each player will undergo a tailored rehabilitation program to prepare for a return to action, with the club confirming that all precautions are being taken to protect the players' long-term health.

Hussein Shahat will also be out due to the ongoing rehab program which is scheduled to run through the end of the month, affecting his availability for other competitions including the upcoming Arab Cup in Doha.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Sayed Zizou is expected to be fit to travel after a negative medical assessment and a period of rest following mild muscle pain in the Shabab Kabylie game.

Torup's staff will monitor each case and coordinate with the medical team to ensure players return with minimal risk before rejoining the squad for the next fixture.

Road to Rabat

The team will now travel in two phases: originally planned for Tuesday from Borg El Arab, then shifted after the Ismaily game postponement. The latest plan sees the squad flying directly from Cairo to Rabat so as to reduce fatigue, with two training sessions planned: a light session on arrival at a training venue and a second session at the match stadium the day before the game. A press conference with coach Danishman Yees Torup and a player is also planned.

Return to Training and Tactical Focus: On completion of the first training in Rabat, the Red Castle will resume light training after a 24-hour rest. Torup will focus the session on the tactical plan against AS FAR Rabat, showing players clips from the Druids' previous match against the Moroccan side and from their loss to Young Africans. Torup said that the team has achieved the objective against Shabab Kabylie: a strong start to the group stage, and the fans’ support was incredible. He emphasized that the group is united and that there is always room for improvement, with Ashraf Ben Sharqi making a noticeable impact whenever he participates.

And in closing, the coach highlighted that Ahly’s performance is the product of teamwork and continuous improvement, not a single hero’s moment, and that the squad will rely on everyone to face the upcoming challenge.

Punchlines: if injuries were goals, Ahly would already be in the trophy room. And if a bench could talk, it would beg for an extra substitute to ease the load on the physio beds.