CAIRO: Hosni Abd-Rabou will almost certainly miss Egypt s crunch World Cup qualifier at home to Algeria on Saturday, an Egyptian Football Association (EFA) official said on Monday.
The Ahly Dubai midfielder was deemed doubtful for the anticipated encounter after injuring his ankle in a UAE league game last week.
He makes little progress with regard to his injury, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told FilGoal.com.
With such rate, he will not be able to recover in time for the game.
What matters most is the player s safety; the technical staff will not rush him back into action.
The 25-year-old s fate is expected to be determined on Thursday.
Abd-Rabou, who was voted the best player in Egypt s triumphant African Cup of Nations campaign in 2008, is an influential member of the team s roster.
He scored the winner in the Pharaohs 1-0 victory at Zambia which kept alive their hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1990.
Egypt need to beat Algeria by a three-goal margin at Cairo Stadium to qualify directly for the football s most prestigious event.
A win by a two-goal margin will set up a playoff meeting with the Desert Foxes on a neutral venue.
