Egyptian champions Ahly will have to do without forward Emad Meteb in Saturday's day-nine match of the Egyptian Premier League against Ghazl El-Mahalla. “Meteb needs a rest after sustaining a back-leg muscle stain due to his back-to-back participation in the Maqassa and Ismaily matches,” Reds doctor Khaled Mahmoud told Ahram Online. The 28-year-old hitman will undergo a rehabilitation program to prepare for a 5 January clash with El-Giesh before the team fly to Qatar for a friendly match with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. Fathy still doubtful## The titleholders have expressed concern about their backline after right-winger Ahmed Fathy was injured in Tuesday's 1-0 win against Ismaily. “The medical staff will decide on Friday whether Fathy will play Mahalla or not,” said Mahmoud. Portuguese manager Manuel Jose, meanwhile, faces a defence crisis as Wael Gomaa and Sayed Moawad were both ruled out for bookings, while Mohamed Naguib and Ramy Rabeia both sustained injuries. Ahly are currently the runners-up in the table with 20 points, trailing leaders Haras El-Hodoud by five points. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter: @AO_Sports).
