CAIRO: Zamalek playmaker Mahmoud “Shikabala Abdel-Razeq will be sidelined for between two and three weeks after picking up a groin injury, the club said on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old sustained the injury during Zamalek s 2-2 Egyptian Premier League draw with Arab Contractors on Monday.

He will now miss Egypt s crucial World Cup qualifier in Rwanda on Sept. 5.

We informed Egypt s technical staff that it will be very difficult for Shikabala to play the game, Zamalek doctor Mostafa Al-Monayeri said on the club s official website.

The former PAOK Saloniki man is also likely to miss the Cairo giants league encounters against Ittihad and Gaish next month.

Shikabala is an integral member of Zamalek s squad but is often criticized for being inconsistent.

He put in an impressive display to help his side defeat ENPPI 3-1 in their league opener but was a peripheral figure in the 2-1 defeat to Petrojet. He was also uninspiring in the draw with Contractors.