Zamalek striker Bassem Morsi has been sidelined from the squad that will face Harras El-Hodoud in a league game on Thursday.

The 24-year-old, who has been out of action for a month, needs more time to recover from an ankle injury sustained during Egypt's 1-0 defeat to Chad in last month's World Cup qualifiers.

Morsi was instrumental last season when Zamalek won the double -- the Egyptian League and the Cup -- for the first time since 1988. Morsi scored 19 during that winning campaign, but this season he has so far failed to find the net. 

Several reports suggested that substitute striker Ahmed Hassan Mekki will lead Zamalek's frontline against his former club.   

The match will be the first test of the team's new coach, Marcos Paqueta, who is replacing Jesualdo Ferreira after his resignation.

The White Knights are fifth in the league table with ten points, five behind leaders Maqassa who have played three matches more.   

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