Al Ahly technical director Houcine Ammouta has been dealt another blow ahead of Tuesday's fifth-round Egyptian Premier League clash with Abou Qir Fertilizers.
Dr Ahmed Gaballah, head of Al Ahly's first-team medical staff, has confirmed the details of Ahmed Nabil Koka's injury after the player underwent tests in the past few hours.
An MRI scan on Koka revealed a second-degree strain in the lower part of the left hamstring, Gaballah said.
Speaking via the club's official website, the medical chief explained that Koka will follow a treatment and rehabilitation programme over the coming period, aiming to recover fully and regain his physical fitness before he returns to group training.
The setback piles on the pressure for Ammouta's staff. Fixtures are stacking up, and they need as many fit bodies as possible for the upcoming stage of the campaign.
Gaballah had earlier confirmed Amr El-Gazzar's serious injury, with scans showing a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament along with a tear in the internal cartilage.
Losing Koka hurts. The 25-year-old had played in every one of Al Ahly's league matches this season under Ammouta.
Ammouta leaned on him in more than one role over recent games, using him at left-back at times and in midfield at others. That versatility underlines just how valuable he is to the coaching staff.
Now the technical staff must cope without Koka against Abou Qir Fertilizers and find a suitable replacement, with the growing injury list already forcing itself into the team's calculations at the start of the season.
Fans are watching closely to see how the team shapes up in the fifth round. Ammouta wants to keep the line-up settled and deliver results, all while the physical and technical demands mount with every match.