Al Ahly football director denies reports Yasser Ibrahim and Mohamed Hany were sidelined over contracts

Wael Gomaa said injuries and technical decisions, not contract disputes, explain the duo's absence from recent matches.

• Gomaa told Yallakora and Masrawy that reports linking the pair's exclusion to stalled contract renewals are unfounded.
• Gomaa said Yasser Ibrahim's injury recurred before the Kitara match and he has since resumed group training gradually.
• Gomaa said Mohamed Hany's exclusion was a technical decision and he may feature normally in upcoming fixtures.
• Al Ahly beat Kitara 4-0 to reach the Confederation Cup group stage, winning the tie 5-1 on aggregate.