Al Ahly are preparing to face Smouha on Thursday, September 3, in the third round of the Egyptian Premier League, with head coach Hussein Amouta considering several possible changes to his lineup.

Much of the attention is focused on Emam Ashour, who is getting closer to making his first appearance of the season, while Ali Mahmoud is pushing to keep his place in the starting XI after an impressive performance against ZED.

Al Ahly head into the match looking for a third consecutive league victory and another strong result after collecting six points from their opening two games.

Emam’s Return

Emam Ashour is moving closer to returning to competitive action after making significant progress in regaining his fitness during the past few days.

The midfielder featured in Al Ahly’s friendly against Delphi, which ended in a 2-1 victory, as part of the club’s plan to gradually prepare him for official matches.

Ashour missed Al Ahly’s opening two league games, with Amouta and his coaching staff choosing not to rush his return before he reached the required physical and technical level.

He is now among the players expected to compete for a place in the squad against Smouha, although the coaching staff will decide how much he can play according to his condition before the game.

Ashour’s return would give Amouta another important option in midfield and increase competition for places as the Moroccan coach looks to have several solutions available throughout the season.

Other players have also been receiving additional preparation recently, including Moroccan defender Achraf Dari, while Yasser Ibrahim could also return to strengthen Al Ahly’s defensive options.

Backing Ali Mahmoud

While Ashour is getting closer to returning, Amouta is also considering keeping Ali Mahmoud in the starting lineup after his strong display against ZED in the previous round.

Ali Mahmoud impressed the coaching staff with his movement, discipline and ability to carry out the tactical instructions given to him during the match.

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His performance has strengthened his chances of starting again against Smouha, particularly as Amouta continues to reward the players who show the best level of readiness.

However, the Al Ahly coach has yet to make his final decision and will continue assessing his players during the final training sessions before the game.

Mustafa Shobeir is expected to remain in goal, with Ahmed Nabil Kouka, Amr El Gazar and Mohamed Hany among the main defensive options. Yasser Ibrahim and Hady Riyad are competing for another place in the back line.

In midfield, Marwan Attia, Ali Mahmoud and Ahmed Sayed Zizo are among the leading candidates to start, while Achraf Bencharki, Monsef Bakrar and Taher Mohamed Taher are possible attacking options.

Ashour’s expected return to the squad does not necessarily mean he will immediately start the match. After his period away from competitive football, the coaching staff could decide to introduce him gradually, depending on his fitness.

Al Ahly started their league campaign with two consecutive victories. They came from two goals down to beat El Sharkia Enppi 3-2 in their opening fixture before securing another victory against ZED in the second round.

Those results took Al Ahly to six points as they continue their early push near the top of the Egyptian Premier League table.

Smouha, meanwhile, enter the match with one point from their opening two fixtures. The Alexandria side lost 1-0 to Al Masry in their first game before recording a goalless draw against Suez Petrojet.

Smouha will therefore be searching for both their first victory and their first goal of the new league season when they face Al Ahly.

The match will be played at Cairo International Stadium at 8:00 PM on Thursday, with Emam Ashour potentially making his first appearance of the season and Ali Mahmoud looking increasingly likely to receive another opportunity in Amouta’s starting lineup.