Injury-plagued Al Ahly star Percy Tau has been handed a welcome boost ahead of next year's 2022 FIFA Club World Cup in a development that will also benefit the South Africa national team.
Earlier this month, Tau was struck down by yet another injury when he suffered an untimely hamstring strain – initially reported to have been a back injury – during the latter stages of Al Ahly's 3-0 Egyptian Premier League win over Al-Ittihad of Alexandria.
The 28-year-old had opened the scoring in that encounter, his second goal in as many matches, but was forced from the pitch after an pulling up in an attempt to add a second goal and has subsequently been ruled out for at least a month.
Tau's latest spell on the sidelines sparked concern that he could be in doubt to miss the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, which is scheduled to take place between 1-11 February next year, but these fears have been allayed according to reports from Egypt.
Local publication Kora+ report that the former Mamelodi Sundowns star will miss no more than six weeks of action, including post-injury recovery, and should be fit to take part in the competition after missing out at the previous edition through injury.
READ | Bafana star Percy Tau dealt cruel injury blow
With reigning CAF Champions League champions Wydad Casablanca serving as hosts in Morocco, Al Ahly were granted their so-called host slot by virtue of ending as runners-up on the continent last season and will compete for the third consecutive year.
The Egyptian giants will get proceedings underway on 1 February against New Zealand side Auckland City and will be looking to go one step further than their third-place finishes in the 2020 and 2021 editions.
Meanwhile, the timeline for Tau's expected recovery also comes as a positive development for Bafana Bafana who are set to battle Liberia in a double header the following month as part of their 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign.
The 2017-18 PSL Golden Boot winner has scored 13 times in 36 matches for South Africa but featured just once for the national team, during the 2-1 defeat to Morocco in June, after enduring an injury-plagued year for club and country.
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