Al Ahly to recall Mohamed El Shenawy before Egypt camp

Al Ahly are set to restore Mohamed El Shenawy to their starting line-up for their next two Egyptian Premier League matches, according to a club source, giving the experienced goalkeeper an opportunity to push for a place in Egypt’s squad before the national team’s March camp.

The decision, taken by the coaching staff led by Hussein Ammouta, will see El Shenawy replace Mostafa Shobeir in goal against Al Mokawloon Al Arab and Abu Qir Fertilizers.

A source from Al Ahly told FilGoal.com: “The coaching staff have decided that Mohamed El Shenawy will return to goal instead of Mostafa Shobeir against Al Mokawloon Al Arab and Abu Qir Fertilizers in the league.”

The source added: “That is in order to give him an opportunity to join the Egypt national team before the Pharaohs’ next camp this month.”

El Shenawy’s return is expected to come after Shobeir began the league campaign as Al Ahly’s goalkeeper. Shobeir featured against El Sharqia, ENPPI and ZED, while Al Ahly secured victories in two of those matches.

The club’s defence conceded twice in Shobeir’s first match against El Sharqia, ENPPI, although Al Ahly eventually won 3-2.

Al Ahly’s next fixture is against Smouha on Thursday in the third round of the Egyptian Premier League. The club will then face Al Mokawloon Al Arab in the fourth round, followed by Abu Qir Fertilizers in the fifth.

Those two matches are scheduled to take place before the international break for Egypt, which is expected to provide El Shenawy with a chance to stake his claim for selection.

The goalkeeper has now been identified by Al Ahly’s coaching staff as the preferred option for the upcoming fixtures, with the timing of his return linked directly to the possibility of being included in Egypt’s next squad.

The changes will therefore begin after the match against Smouha, with Shobeir having started the opening part of the campaign and El Shenawy lined up to resume responsibility for the team’s goal in the matches against Al Mokawloon Al Arab and Abu Qir Fertilizers.

Al Ahly will enter that sequence of games knowing that the fixtures before the international break could be significant for both the club and El Shenawy. The source’s comments indicate that the decision is not only about the club’s immediate league plans, but also about ensuring the goalkeeper has the opportunity to return to the Egypt set-up before the March camp.