Jeddah: Christian Gross will send his Al Ahli team into their crucial 2016 AFC Champions League meeting with Qatar’s El Jaish on Tuesday without injured midfielder Waleed Bakshwn as the Saudi Arabian side seek the win they need to have any chance of advancing to the next phase of the competition.
Bakshwn suffered a crucial ligament injury in training last week and will be a long-term absentee although the blow has been softened for Tuesday’s game by the return from suspension of Fahad Al Yamani.
Al Ahli must win and hope Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates do not pick up three points against Nasaf from Uzbekistan in the other game in Group D to be able to advance to the Round of 16.
“El Jaish are a strong team and they have a good coach but we will be giving our best as this is the last match for us in the group stage,” said Gross (pictured). “We are playing against a good side who have already secured their place in the knockout stage.
“We will try to play with the best formation possible. The match will not be easy because we are playing against a team who recently won a title in Qatar. I hope that we will put in a strong performance and get the necessary three points.”
El Jaish, who are three points clear of nearest rivals Al Ain, are already assured of top spot in the group after notching up back-to-back wins over the inaugural AFC Champions League winners on Matchdays One and Two.
Sabri Lamouchi’s side will go into the game with their confidence high after winning the Qatar Cup on Friday with a 2-1 victory over Lekhwiya, although they will be without suspended duo Yasir Isa and Khaled Abdulraaof.
“It will be definitely a hard match. We are up against one of the best teams in Saudi Arabia, who have recently won the league title,” said Lamouchi. “However, we are ready for anything and hopefully the team will be ready for the match.
“We achieved the first step which was qualifying from the group but this will not stop us from trying to win the match. We want to continue our good performances and hopefully we can get the three points tomorrow.”
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