Ahly midfield pillar Hossam Ashour has been once again ruled out against Tunisia s Etoile du Sahel, missing the CAF Champions League semi-final second-leg at Alexandria s Borg El-Arab Stadium on Sunday.
Having missed the 2-1 first-leg defeat to Etoile in Sousse due to knee injury early this month, holder Ashour will not be able to take part against the Tunisians next week after sustaining a groin problem in Monday s 4-1 league victory over lowly Ragaa.
“Scans showed that Ashour has sustained a groin tear,” Ahly doctor Khaled Mahmoud told reporters on Tuesday.
“As a result, he will not be able to take part against Etoile on Sunday.”
The 31-year-old Ashour was forced against Ragaa in the 24th minute despite making no contact with an opponent.
He will now sit out the game against Etoile alongside veteran right-back Ahmed Fathi, who is serving automatic suspension.
In Ashour s absence, the Cairo giants looked unable to vie at the center of the park in Sousse – with new-signing Hesham Mohamed unable to fill the gap left by the former.
Subsequently, Ahly manager Hossam El-Badry was forced to take off Mohamed and move Fathi into the middle alongside Amr El-Sulaya, in an attempt to bolster his side s midfield.
But with both Fathi and Ashour now confirmed out of the game, it remains to be seen how Ahly would line up against Etoile, with the Cairo side needing a victory to go through to the final.
