El-Shennawy missed Ahly's 2-0 win over Talae El Geish on Monday, with backup Mostafa Shobeir impressing between the posts. However, Koller emphasised El-Shennawy's importance for the upcoming top-of-the-table encounter.

"Mohamed El-Shennawy will be Ahly's goalkeeper against Pyramids," Koller told reporters after Talae El Geish's match.

The Swiss coach acknowledged the challenges of El-Shennawy's workload upon his return from injury.

"I spoke frankly with him about the difficulty of playing every match, Shobeir has proven himself and deserves his chance, and I don't want him to lose momentum," Koller said.

Ahly currently sit second in the league, 11 points behind leaders Pyramids FC with four games remaining. The Cairo giants are also contending with a congested fixture list due to their participation in postponed matches.

Koller lamented the state of Cairo International Stadium, venue for the upcoming Pyramids FC clash.

"We used to love playing there, but the condition is very bad, the pitch is deteriorating, and I don't understand how this has happened to such a prestigious stadium," he said.

Despite the first-half struggles against Talae El Geish, Koller expressed satisfaction with his team's second-half performance and the securing of three points. He also confirmed that forward Mahmoud "Kahraba" Abdel-Moneim remains unavailable for selection after just one training session following his return from injury.

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