Ahly's new signings Ali Maaloul and goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawi could make their debut for the Cairo giants in Monday's Egypt Cup match against Smouha. Ahly will meet the Alexandrian side in the quarter-finals of Egypt's secondary domestic competition. The winner will face ENPPI in the competition's semis. Under-fire goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy and Ghanaian striker John Antwi were excluded from the squad, while Karim Nedved and Mohamed Hamdi Zaki, who had just returned to Ahly after ending loan stints, were both available for Smouha match. Against Smouha, Ahly will also welcome back Abdallah El-Said who has recovered from a collarbone injury that has sidelined him since a league match on 9 June. El-Said's return will be a great boost for the Egyptian champions, who already suffer from the absence of some key players such as defender Ahmed Hegazy, midfielder Amr El-Sulaya and winger Bassem Ali due to injuries. New faces at Ahly Tunisian international Maaloul and Egyptian international El-Shennawi joined Ahly from Sfaxien and Petrojet respectively as the Red Devils attempt to reinforce their squad in the summer. They are already struggling to cope with some major absences, especially following recent moves by key elements Ramadan Sobhi to Stoke City and Malick Evouna to China's Tianjin Teda. Despite the absences, Ahly took an African Champions League lifeline following a precious 1-0 victory over Wydad Casablanca in Rabat Wednesday. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
