Ahmed Hamdy ruled out of Al Ittihad Alexandria’s opener against former club Zamalek

Ahmed Hamdy will miss Al Ittihad Alexandria’s Egyptian Premier League opener against his former club Zamalek on Friday because of an ankle sprain.

The midfielder is unavailable for the first-round fixture after suffering a ligament strain in his foot, according to information obtained by FilGoal.com. Al Ittihad are expected to manage his recovery with the aim of preparing him for their upcoming matches.

Zamalek will host Al Ittihad on Friday evening as both sides begin their league campaigns. The match is scheduled to kick off at 20:00 and will be broadcast on On Sport.

Hamdy joined Al Ittihad Alexandria from Zamalek on a free transfer after his contract with the Cairo club expired. His absence means he will not face his former team in the opening game of the season.

Al Ittihad’s squad for the match is:

Goalkeepers: Sobhi Soliman, Ali El Gabry, Ahmed El Araby

Defenders: Moamen Awad, Ahmed El Sayed, Mostafa Ibrahim, Islam Abdellah, Mohamed Mostafa “Mido”, Khaled Massad, Moamen Sherif

Midfielders: Mahmoud Emad, Ishaq Savior, Ahmed Atef, Joseph Armola, Mohamed Fakhry, Nour Alaa, Pascal Ferry, Ahmed Nagy

Forwards: Yousry Waheed, Hossam Hassan, John Ebuka, Kenneth Simakula

Zamalek go into the fixture as holders of the Egyptian Premier League title after winning last season’s competition.

For Al Ittihad, the opening-day meeting provides an immediate test against the reigning champions, but they will have to negotiate the fixture without Hamdy. The club’s medical staff will instead focus on his recovery from the ankle injury ahead of the next matches.

The game between Zamalek and Al Ittihad Alexandria is due to begin at 20:00 on Friday and will be shown live on On Sport.