FC Les Aigles du Congo could be without three key players when they face APR FC in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.

The Congolese side is scheduled to host APR FC in the first leg on September 6 at Frédéric Kibassa Maliba Stadium in Lubumbashi, but uncertainty surrounds the availability of their players Ibrahim Matobo, Esdras Makosi and captain Helton Kayembe.

The trio is reportedly not with the rest of the squad in Lubumbashi.

Matobo, a left-sided attacker, Makosi, a midfielder, and Kayembe, a defender, have all played important roles for Les Aigles du Congo this season.

The club's management has not provided an explanation for their absence. Particular attention has focused on Kayembe, who has recently been linked with a move to French side SCO Angers.

APR FC, meanwhile, is expected to travel to Lubumbashi on the morning of the match aboard a chartered flight and return to Kigali immediately after the game.

The Rwandan champions had previously asked the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to move the first leg out of the DRC, citing security concerns and the Ebola outbreak in parts of the country.

CAF rejected the request twice, including an appeal by APR FC, confirming that the match would go ahead as scheduled in Lubumbashi.

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