A former Egypt international has urged Al Ahly's manager to "wake up" and start South Africa's Percy Tau in their crunch CAF Champions League semi-final this weekend.
The Red Devils will be looking to book their place in the final of the competition as they aim to win the tournament for a record-extending 12th time, but standing in their way are Congolese heavyweights TP Mazembe.
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The two giants of African football will go head to head in the first leg on Saturday, with Tau, who could make his 100th appearance for the Red Devils, having been included in the squad that will travel to the Stade TP Mazembe for the continental encounter.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion star's last appearance for his side came in the same competition – a 1-0 win over Simba SC in the first leg of their quarter-final on 29 March.
While it is believed that the 29-year-old's absence after that was caused by an ankle injury, some reports have suggested that it was, in fact, due to a fallout with Red Devils boss Marcel Koller.
The Swiss tactician has also come under considerable scrutiny for the club's recent run of form, which has seen them win just two of their past five league games, with their latest result being a 2-1 defeat to derby rivals Zamalek earlier this week.
As such, ex-Pharaohs star Mohamed Salah, not to be mistaken for the Liverpool forward with the same name, has stated that he believes the 11-time CAFCL winners will progress to the final, despite their domestic struggles, adding that Tau, among others, must be included in the action this weekend if they are to do so.
"I have confidence in Al Ahly's victory over Mazembe. This is the advantage of the big teams. They close the file of the previous matches and then focus on the upcoming matches," he said, per Corner Sport.
"Koller will not be stubborn in the formation again, and he will wake up in the future. He cannot play against Mazembe with the same formation that he played in the Zamalek match.
"Koller's insistence on including Anthony Modeste lowers the morale of the other strikers, and Koller must field Wissam Abu Ali, Reda Slim and Percy Tau in the attacking line against Mazembe."
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