The 12-time African champions began their Group B campaign with a 4-1 home victory over Algeria’s JS Kabylie on Saturday and will aim to maintain their momentum in Rabat.
Ahly will be without first-choice goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawy, who did not travel after suffering a muscle injury against JS Kabylie.
“Medical scans showed that El-Shennawy sustained a Grade 2 adductor strain during the opening group-stage match against JS Kabylie,” team doctor Ahmed Gaballah told the club’s website.
Mostafa Shobier, who replaced El-Shennawy in that game, is expected to start on Friday.
The Red Eagles will also continue to miss winger Ahmed Abdelkader, who has a partial hamstring tear, and Mohamed Shokry, who is out with a Grade One calf strain.
“All three players will follow individual rehabilitation programmes before returning to full training,” Gaballah added.
Coach Jess Thorup is likely to keep winger Emam Ashour in the lineup after his standout performance in the opening match, where he scored and provided an assist after coming on in the final 10 minutes.
Ahly reached the group stage after a 2–0 aggregate win over Burundi’s Aigle Noir in the round of 32 and were drawn into a challenging Group B alongside Tanzania’s Young Africans, Morocco’s FAR Rabat, and JS Kabylie.
FAR Rabat opened their campaign with a 1–0 away defeat to Young Africans.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: