The defending champions have faced setbacks in recent games, drawing three matches and winning three. This leaves them in third place with 12 points. They trail Zamalek and Pyramids FC by a narrow two-point margin.
Swiss coach Marcel Koller’s availability for the game is uncertain after he missed Monday’s training session due to gastroenteritis.
"Koller missed Ahly’s Monday training session due to gastroenteritis. He will be closely monitored in the coming hours to determine his status for the Smouha match," said Dr Ahmed Gaballah, Ahly's team doctor.
The absence of key players, such as wingers Omar Kamal, Taher Mohamed Taher, and Mohamed Hani and midfielder Reda Selim, due to injuries has posed challenges for the Cairo giants.
The Ahly's team doctor mentioned that Kamal and Hani are undergoing recovery programmes to assess their availability for future matches.
Adding to their concerns, goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawy’s participation against Smouha remains uncertain for technical reasons, potentially paving the way for Mostafa Shobier to step in as a replacement.
Midfielder Khaled Abdel-Fattah will also be sidelined due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
On the other hand, Smouha are struggling in 17th place in the league, having amassed only five points from six matches this season.
The absence of their first-choice goalkeeper, El-Hani Soliman, further complicates their upcoming encounter with Ahly.
Despite managing a solitary victory, suffering three defeats, and securing two draws so far, Smouha will be eager to turn the tide against the formidable Ahly side in an attempt to climb up the league standings.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: