Al Ahly face a very different test tomorrow, Wednesday, when they meet Petrol Asyut at the Al Salam Stadium to open their Professional League Cup campaign. All eyes are on the fringe players who have drifted out of the picture lately, just days before the eagerly awaited clash with Zamalek.
Former Al Ahly and Egypt goalkeeper Ahmed Shobier has lifted the lid on the squad. Moroccan Hossein Ammouta will lead Al Ahly in the match, handing a chance to several players who rarely feature for the first team.
Writing on X, Shobier said the game could see "Ashraf Dari, Reda Slim, Kabaka and Ahmed Eid" involved, with Tawfik Mohamed also a possibility. Hamza Alaa will take the gloves for Al Ahly.
There is fury inside the club, too. Shobier revealed anger over the reports circulating about Ammouta's dissatisfaction with the level of some players, insisting the management are unhappy at how often this story keeps resurfacing, especially before the top clash against Zamalek.
Ammouta, he explained, is focused on his job and has not spoken to the football management about any of this. Al Ahly officials believe the timing of the leak raises question marks, and the club will not sit back while news it considers false keeps doing the rounds.
Turning to the injured players before the Zamalek clash, Shobier confirmed Ahmed Nabil Koka is very close to rejoining group training. Karim El Debeis, though, will definitely miss the big one.
Yasser Ibrahim has started running but has yet to put a boot back on, according to Shobier, who puts his chances of facing Zamalek at no more than 50%.
Everything hinges on whether Yasser can train with the group the day before the match, and even that may not be enough for Ammouta to risk him from the start.
Should Yasser miss out, Shobier reckons the likeliest scenario is Hadi Riad and Yassin Marei pairing up at the heart of Al Ahly's defence for the top clash.
Al Ahly meet Zamalek next Sunday evening at the Cairo International Stadium in the sixth round of the Premier League. The build-up is already fierce, and Ammouta is using the Petrol Asyut game to give his substitutes a run and sharpen a few of his options before the big date.
