Ahly manager Hossam Ashour said he has total confidence in his players' ability to make up for the absence of key duo Hossam Ashour and Ahmed Fathi in the Champions League semi-final return-leg against Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel on Sunday.

After being defeated 2-1 in Sousse early in October, Ahly will be keen to overturn the deficit against the Tunisians at Alexandria's Borg El-Arab Stadium.

The Reds, however, will have to do without Ashour and Fathi for injury and automatic suspension respectively, but manager El-Badry looked totally confident in the players at his disposal.

"The absence of Ashour and Fathi would surely affect us given their value in the team, but all the players will be keen to give it his all," El-Badry told the pre-match press conference.

"All the players in our 18-man squad are ready for the game, they just need to focus.

"I have total confidence in them and that they will have the spirit to qualify for the final and please our fans."

Ahly have failed to reach the Champions League final since winning the last of their record eight titles in 2013.

Should Ahly overcome Etoile, they would meet the winner from the other semi-final between Wydad Casablanca and USM Alger, who played out a goalless first-leg draw in Algeria.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)