Ahly, currently atop the league standings with six points, will clash with Ittihad of Alexandria at El-Salam Stadium in the third round of the revamped Egyptian League format.

However, the Cairo giants have been dealt a blow, with star striker Wessam Abou Ali sidelined due to an instep injury sustained ahead of the national team's clash against South Korea in the Asian 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.

Wessam Abou Ali, 25, who emerged as the top scorer in the Egyptian League last season with 18 goals, has been a key figure for Ahly since his arrival in January, necessitating coach Marcel Koller to consider options to compensate for his absence.

In-form Taher Mohamed Taher, 27, who has netted five goals in seven appearances, including two in the Egyptian league, and forward Mahmoud "Kahraba" Abdel-Moneim are prime candidates to step up in Abou Ali's absence.

In a positive development for Ahly, defenders Rami Rabia and Yasser Ibrahim will return to bolster the backline after recovering from their respective injuries that kept them out of action in previous league fixtures.

On the flip side, Ittihad of Alexandria, who finished 11th last season, have shown promise this season. They currently rank third in the standings with six points from their opening two matches.

The team relies on the contributions of foreign talents, such as Ghanaian winger Benjamin Bernard Boateng, midfielder Salifu Moro, and Nigerian forward Emmanuel Apeh.

The 2024/2025 Egyptian Premier League season commenced in late October, with a revamped format introduced by the Egyptian Pro League (EPL) to tackle past issues and ensure a smooth and timely conclusion to the competition.

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