CAIRO: Egyptian goalkeeper Sherif Ekrami lamented the shoulder injury which kept him out of the Dutch side s recent games.

The Feyenoord deputy guardian has been out of action during the last two months, and the injury prevented him from making his season debut in the 6-0 drubbing of Heracles Almelo on Sunday.

My shoulder injury prevented me from playing against Heracles, because (Henk) Timmer was injured, Ekrami told FilGoal.com.

It is an abnormal injury. I just have to rest in order to heal it.

I hope I could return by the end of December.

The Rotterdammers had to bench goalkeeping coach Patrick Lodewijks, who is registered as a player, as reserve to Erwin Mulder in the Heracles game.

Ekrami s hopes of joining Egypt squad for the 2008 African Cup of Nations could be under threat if he remains unfit.