CAIRO: Mahmoud Fathallah will be out of action for no less than three months, after an x-ray image showed that the Zamalek defender suffered a complex shoulder injury.

Fathallah was seriously hurt in Egypt s training on Sunday morning, before he was rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

The Egypt stopper was first diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder, but it turned out that his collarbone was also fractured.

According to Zamalek s chief medic Mostafa Al-Monayeri, the 27-year-old won t get back to action before three months.

He was initially tipped to return only after two.

Fathallah was excluded from Egypt s squad for their World Cup qualifier with Rwanda on Saturday.

Ismaili defender Moatasem Salem has been named for the crucial game on Monday to fill the backline gap.