Al Ahly have reduced their training workload as they fine-tune their preparations for the Egypt Cup meeting with Petrojet and the league summit against Zamalek.
The Red Devils had initially been scheduled to train twice on Wednesday, with sessions in the morning and evening, but the technical staff have changed the programme and will now hold only one session.
The adjustment comes as coach Hussein Ammouta and his staff monitor the players’ physical workload ahead of a demanding period when Al Ahly will return to competitive action.
An Al Ahly source said in private statements that the decision was taken to temporarily reduce the intensity of training as the coaching staff assess the condition of the squad.
The change also follows the decision by the Egyptian Professional Clubs Association to move the Petrojet match in Assiut forward by 24 hours.
That alteration has forced the technical staff to reconsider the final stages of their preparation programme, including the timing of the two friendly matches planned during the current break.
The staff are now considering moving those friendlies forward to 28 September and 2 October, rather than the previously scheduled dates of 30 September and 3 October.
A final decision on the revised dates will be made after Al Ahly complete discussions with the two opponents involved in the friendly fixtures.
Al Ahly had previously agreed to play Libya’s Al Hilal on 30 September before facing Misr El Makasa on 3 October as part of Ammouta’s preparations for the return of official competition.
The coaching staff are keen to maintain enough recovery time between the final friendly and the Petrojet fixture. The intention is to limit fatigue among the players before the team turns its attention to the league meeting with Zamalek.
The upcoming fixtures have made workload management an important part of Al Ahly’s preparations, with the technical staff seeking to balance competitive readiness with adequate recovery time.
The programme was originally drawn up by Ammouta during the break, but the change to the Petrojet fixture has required adjustments to the schedule.
Ammouta returned to Cairo in the past few hours after the holiday he had given his players and has resumed supervision of the Red Devils’ training sessions.
Al Ahly’s preparations will now continue under the revised programme as the club works towards the resumption of its official matches and the highly anticipated meeting with Zamalek in the sixth round of the Egyptian League.
The coaching staff’s immediate focus is on ensuring the players return to competitive action in suitable physical condition while maintaining sufficient time between matches for recovery.
