Soccer Football - Egyptian Cup Final - Al Masry v Al Ahly - Alexandria, Egypt - August 15, 2017 Al Ahly Hossam Ashour in action with Al Masry Hamada Nasser (Photo: Reuters)
Ahly midfield pillar Hossam Ashour has been once again ruled out against Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel, missing the CAF Champions League semi-final second-leg at Alexandria’s Borg El-Arab Stadium on Sunday.
Having missed the 2-1 first-leg defeat to Etoile in Sousse due to knee injury early this month, holder Ashour will not be able to take part against the Tunisians next week after sustaining a groin problem in Monday’s 4-1 league victory over lowly Ragaa.
“Scans showed that Ashour has sustained a groin tear,” Ahly doctor Khaled Mahmoud told reporters on Tuesday.
“As a result, he will not be able to take part against Etoile on Sunday.”
The 31-year-old Ashour was forced against Ragaa in the 24th minute despite making no contact with an opponent.
He will now sit out the game against Etoile alongside veteran right-back Ahmed Fathi, who is serving automatic suspension.
In Ashour’s absence, the Cairo giants looked unable to vie at the center of the park in Sousse – with new-signing Hesham Mohamed unable to fill the gap left by the former.
Subsequently, Ahly manager Hossam El-Badry was forced to take off Mohamed and move Fathi into the middle alongside Amr El-Sulaya, in an attempt to bolster his side’s midfield.
But with both Fathi and Ashour now confirmed out of the game, it remains to be seen how Ahly would line up against Etoile, with the Cairo side needing a victory to go through to the final.
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