Veteran defenders Ahmed Fathi and Ali Maaloul are back to the Ahly squad ahead of the team's match against Ethiopia's Jimma Aba Jifar in the second leg of the competition's round of 32 on Sunday. Maloul has been out of action for more than two months in the aftermath of the groin injury he picked up in the dying minutes of Ahly's CAF Champions League semi-final first leg against Algerian ES Setif. Fathi was also out since early November with a muscular injury. The return of both players is seen as a massive uplift to the team amid a very heavy fixture congestion in the local league and ahead of an important second leg in the CAF Champions League round of 32. Ahly announced on Sunday they had signed Uruguayan tactician Martin Lasarte to replace Patrice Carteron after the Frenchman was sacked in November over the loss of the African Champions League final against Tunisia's Esperance and the team's exiting of the Zayed Champions Cup. The Cairo giants introduced the 57-year-old coach in a press conference on Monday and he is to officially lead the team after the game against Jimma Aba Jifar. Ahly's caretaker manager Mohamed Youssef has named 19 players in his squad for the CAF Champions League clash. Ahly squad: Goalkeepers:Sherif Ekramy – Mohamed El-Shennawi – Aly Lotfy Defenders:Ahmed Fathi – Ali Maaloul - Mohamed Hany - Salif Coulibaly – Ayman Ashraf Midfielders:Hossam Ashour – Amr Elsolia – Naser Maher – Karim Nedved – Islam Mohareb – Ahmed Hamoudy – Mido Gaber – Mohamed Sherif Forwards:Marwan Mohsen – Walid Azaro (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
