“El-Shennawi is performing well in his recovery programme from the muscle strain injury he sustained during his national team commitment,” Ahly’s doctor Ahmed Abu Abla was quoted as saying on the club’s official website on Sunday.

“The goalkeeper will undergo a medical scan on Monday, then he will do some exercises on Tuesday to determine his… his availability for the game against Al-Hilal,” Abu Abla added.

CAF Champions League title holders Ahly will start their mission in the group stage of the continental tournament’s current edition on Friday when they face off against Al-Hilal away from home.

Ahly’s first round game in the Champions League group stage against Merriekh was due to be played on 11 or 12 February, but it was postponed till 5 March because of the Reds’ participation at the FIFA Club World Cup.

El-Shennawi, 33 — Egypt’s ever-reliable goalkeeper — sustained a muscle strain during the shootout win over Cote d’Ivoire in the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) last January and missed the remaining games in the tournament.

The Cairo giants made use of the team’s second choice goalkeeper, Ali Lotfi, during their participation in the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup that took place in the United Arab Emirates.

Ahly failed to reach the FIFA Club World Cup final as a result of missing more than a dozen key players due to injuries and national team commitments, including El-Shennawi and talented South African winger Percy Tau.

The African Champions claimed the FIFA Club World Cup bronze medal for the second year straight in ruthless fashion, crushing nine-man Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia 4-0 with a mesmerising display of offensive football in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. 

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