"Emam Ashour has sustained a knee injury at the start of the Egypt national team's training session, leading the technical staff to grant him rest and exclude him from the squad," stated the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) early on Thursday.

According to reports in the Egyptian media, the 26-year-old Ashour is dealing with a minor knee injury and is expected to undergo around five days of rehabilitation before returning to action.

Meanwhile, Egypt international defender Mohamed Abdelmonem has been excused from joining the Pharaohs camp due to his involvement with his new Ligue 1 side, Nice.

The former Ahly defender has signed with Nice on a four-year loan deal until 2028.

The club is optimistic that his presence will bolster their defense for both Ligue 1 fixtures and the impending Europa League campaign.

Egypt is preparing to kick off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with a match against Cape Verde on Friday, 6 September, followed by an away game against Botswana four days later.

Drawn in Group C alongside Cape Verde, Botswana, and Mauritania, Egypt aims to secure a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations set to take place in Morocco next year.

The top two teams from the 12 groups will advance to the prestigious tournament.

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