Ahly will have winger Walid Soliman, their standout performer over the past few years, available after a lengthy lay-off when they meet Talae El-Geish on Wednesday as they approach the crucial part of the Egyptian Premier League season. Soliman has been out since 18 January after sustaining a knee injury in an African Champions League clash against Algeria's JS Saoura. His return from injury will give Ahly a timely boost as they chase a fourth consecutive league title in one of the most exciting races in years. The several January signings they made helped them cope with a raft of injuries as they bridged a seven-point gap with Zamalek to ignite the title race. Big-spending Pyramids FC, who also became genuine contenders after claiming the scalp of both Ahly and Zamalek in a huge upset, are on top of the table with 63 points, two ahead of Ahly and three clear of Zamalek although the latter duo have two games in hand. With seven matches remaining, any dropped points could prove costly. On paper, El-Geish are unlikely to provide stiff opposition to an Ahly side that are desperate to win the league to make up for an embarrassing African Champions League exit at the hands of South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns following a 5-1 aggregate loss in the quarter-finals. El-Geish, who lost 2-0 to Gouna in their previous league match, sit 10th in the table with 34 points. They also lost 2-0 to Ahly in the reverse league fixture in December. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
