Star defender and skipper Achraf Hakimi will play in Morocco's final Group A game against Zambia on Monday, his coach Walid Regragui confirmed on the eve of the tie at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.
Hakimi has sat out the tournament to nurse his left ankle which was hurt on 4 November while playing in the Champions League for his club Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich.
Though Regragui said the 27-year-old was fit and available, Hakimi was absent for Morocco's opening day win over Comoros on 21 December and the 1-1 draw against Mali on 26 December.
"What Achraf has done to come back is extraordinary," said Regragui. "What I can say is that Achraf will play. Whether he starts or not, it will be his first match at the Cup of Nations."
Morocco go into the match needing a draw to advance to the last-16 knockout stages of the 24-team competition. Victory would assure them of top spot.
"What we want - because we want to go as far as possible - is that Achraf progresses with the team and that we can keep him for the whole competition.
"I think people don't realise what Achraf brings to our team," Regragui added.
Morocco entered the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations on the back of an 18-match winning streak and boasting the accolade of Africa's top team in the Fifa world rankings.
Following the success over Comoros, the draw with Mali ended the world record sequence at 19.
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"We have played two games without our best player, our leader and captain," said Regragui.
"But we have not hidden. Other players have stood in for him. But would we be a different team with Achraf? Of course. He is the best player in Africa, one of the best in the world."
Hakimi is aiming to be only the second Morocco skipper to lift the Cup of Nations trophy since the inception of the competition in 1957.
He said he had been frustrated sitting on the sidelines during the matches and by the attitude of the Morocco fans.
Jeers were heard around the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah during the draw against Mali.
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"We know it is not easy sometimes, that they want us to win and finish games by half-time," Hakimi said.
"But we have to respect our opponents too. It's not good for the fans to boo us.
"I experienced the same thing at Paris Saint-Germain when we were not winning in the Champions League.
"When we were losing games, people said we were not a great team and didn't have a great coach, but then we went on to be champions of Europe.
"If the fans are behind us ,we can be champions of Africa together," Hakimi added.
Elsewhere in the competition, the final round of games take place in Group B where South Africa, Angola or Zimbabwe can join pool winners Egypt in the automatic qualification spots.
Egypt face Angola in Agadir while second-placed South Africa take on Zimbabwe in Marrakesh.
