Questions have mounted over Imam Ashour's future at Al-Ahly and the reason for his absence from the technical staff's plans in recent matches. The Red club have now issued an official clarification that settles the debate over the player's physical condition and reveals the true reason behind his continued absence.
Hossam Amouta, Al-Ahly's technical director, named his squad ahead of tomorrow's clash against Al-Mokawloon Al-Arab at Cairo International Stadium, part of the second round of the group stage of the Capital of Egypt Cup, in Group Three.
Back in the fold came the trio of Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim and Ahmed Reda. A number of key players missed out, chief among them Imam Ashour, Ahmed Mostafa Zizo, Mohamed El-Shenawy, Hussein El-Shahat and Marwan Attia.
With Ashour again left out, Al-Ahly moved to clarify the midfielder's situation on their official accounts. They confirmed his exclusion comes for technical reasons only, that he trains normally with the team and that he carries no injury.
That makes it three matches in a row without Ashour under Amouta. He sat out Al-Ahly's clashes against Uganda's Kitara in the CAF Confederation Cup and Modern Sport in the Egyptian league, and now misses the meeting with Al-Mokawloon Al-Arab in the Capital Cup.
The run of absences raises eyebrows. Ashour has barely featured this season, managing just four appearances in the Al-Ahly shirt without a goal or an assist to his name.
Al-Ahly, meanwhile, go into the Al-Mokawloon Al-Arab clash chasing a second win in the tournament and sole leadership of Group Three. They opened their campaign with a thumping four-nil victory over Petrol Assiut to bank their first three points.
The Red club will want to build on that fast start and keep the winning run going despite the gaps in their ranks. The match also hands the technical staff a chance to try out some players and hand minutes to those who have seen little action lately.