Zamalek explain Ahmed Jafali’s expected absence against ZED

A Zamalek source says Ahmed Jafali is unlikely to play against ZED in the Egypt Capital Cup because the club does not want to expose the Tunisia winger to three matches in less than a week after a year-long absence.

Zamalek are preparing to face ZED before their Egyptian Premier League meeting with Al Ahly.

The source told FilGoal.com: “The coaching staff were concerned about Ahmed Jafali’s readiness, so the initial plan was for him to play in the friendly against Eastern Company ENPPI and then feature against ZED in the League Cup.”

Jafali came on as a substitute in the friendly against Eastern Company ENPPI, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the latter.

After his performance in that match, Zamalek decided he would be included in the squad for the Al Ahly game. That made it difficult for him to play against ZED as well, given that doing so would mean three appearances in fewer than seven days.

The source added: “That would be a large number of matches for a player who has been absent for more than a year. The final decision on whether he plays will depend on his physical readiness during training.”

Jafali recently returned to Zamalek after a loan spell with Saudi Arabian club Abha.

The Tunisia winger has also resumed full team training with Zamalek, but he has not played in an official match since the beginning of the current season.

The club are continuing to assess his condition before deciding whether he can take part against Al Ahly. His involvement in the ZED fixture is therefore expected to be limited or ruled out, with the focus on ensuring he is sufficiently prepared for the upcoming league match.

FilGoal.com previously reported that Mahmoud El-Shenawy, El-Sayed Osama, Ahmed Hossam and Seif Gaafar are the four players from Zamalek’s first team most likely to feature against ZED.

Zamalek’s match against ZED comes as part of their preparations for the Al Ahly encounter, while Jafali’s return is being managed carefully after his extended period away from competitive football.