Al Ahly used the international break to restore several injured players to match fitness and assess members of their squad who had been out of action, while goalkeeper Hamza Alaa was given an opportunity to return to the starting line-up.
The Egyptian club also used friendly matches against Libya’s Al Ittihad Misurata and Misr El-Makasa to give playing time to players who had struggled for regular involvement.
Al Ahly beat Al Ittihad Misurata 4-2 before recording a 3-0 victory over Misr El-Makasa. The results were accompanied by several developments that gave coach Hussein Ammouta more options ahead of the return of competitive football.
One of the main opportunities came for Alaa, who started a match after a lengthy period away from regular action.
His appearance has opened the possibility of a greater role in the next stage, with Al Ahly due to face Petrojet Assiut next Wednesday in the group stage of the Egypt Capital Cup.
The break also allowed Moroccan duo Reda Slim and Ashraf Dari to return to action after lengthy absences.
Their appearances gave the coaching staff the chance to assess their physical condition and determine how close they are to being able to contribute regularly.
Dari has started to rebuild his match fitness gradually and is getting closer to full readiness, although he still requires more time before he can consistently perform at the level required.
Al Ahly also received encouragement from new signing Tawfiq Mohamed during his appearance against El-Makasa.
The former Petrojet player produced a positive display, providing the technical staff with another option following injuries suffered by several players.
Youssef Belamri’s cruciate ligament injury and a subsequent injury to Karim Al-Debis had reduced the available choices, while Ahmed Eid was also given an opportunity to play as Ammouta sought to prepare as many players as possible.
The additional appearances allowed the coaching staff to increase the number of available alternatives across different positions before competitive fixtures resume.
The break also provided an opportunity for Mohamed El Shenawy, Ashraf Bencharki and Taher Mohamed Taher to return from injury.
Their involvement was another important part of Al Ahly’s preparations, with the friendly matches giving the players an opportunity to regain match rhythm after their respective periods on the sidelines.
Bencharki also made his return to the scoresheet during the 3-0 victory over El-Makasa.
Abdullah Aktai opened the scoring for Al Ahly in the first half before Bencharki and Hussein El-Shahat added two more goals after the interval.
The result completed Al Ahly’s preparations during the break and provided Ammouta with further information about the condition of his squad.
With several players returning from injury and others gaining valuable minutes, the friendly matches gave the coaching staff an opportunity to assess their options before the resumption of official competition.
The return of players such as El Shenawy, Bencharki and Taher, alongside the progress of Dari and the involvement of Alaa, Slim, Tawfiq Mohamed and Ahmed Eid, has increased the number of players available to Ammouta as Al Ahly prepare for their next competitive commitments.
