Ahli midfielder Mohamed Barakat has been ruled out of Saturday's Egyptian league derby match against arch-rival Zamalek due to injury, the Egyptian champions confirmed. "Barakat will miss both the Mahalla and Zamalek games," Ahli assistant coach Hossam Al-Badri told Filgoal.com on Monday. "He is still nursing a thigh injury, which had sidelined him for the African Super Cup game last Friday," he said. Ahli will take on Mahalla in the local league on Tuesday. Al-Badri said that Osama Hosni, Mohamed Shawki and Wael Gomaa are also recuperating from injuries and their participation in Saturday's match is still in question. "Shawki and Gomaa are undergoing a rehabilitation program up until the Zamalek match," he said. "They will also miss the Mahalla match."
"But Hosni will be fielded against Mahalla to determine whether or not he will be fit for Saturday following the injury he sustained in the African Super Cup," Al-Badri added. Ahli will go into Saturday's match with a depleted squad as they will also be missing Wael Reyad through injury and striker Flavio Amado, who will be on international duty with his native Angola. Flavio is set to return to Cairo from South Korea on Thursday night where Angola will be playing an international friendly, and the chances of him being ready for the Zamalek match seem bleak. Al-Badri insisted that both the players and coaching staff is focused on the Mahalla match, which he believes is as important as Zamalek's match. Ahli are in charge of the Egyptian league table with 33 points, leading second-placed Zamalek by one point, with three games in hand.
