Mohamed Aboutrika (2nd R) of Egypt's Al Ahly takes part in a practice session in preparation for the FIFA Club World Cup in Agadir, December 10, 2013 (Photo: Reuters)
Monterrey coach Jose Guadalupe Cruz has said he is disappointed that Ahly's Mohamed Abou-Treika will miss their Club World Cup fifth-place decider on Wednesday.
Veteran playmaker Abou-Treika is out of action for six weeks after he sustained a hamstring injury during their 2-0 loss to China's Guangzhou on Saturday
"We are sorry to play without Abou-Treika. The match will lose a lot of its pleasure," Cruz was quoted as saying by Ahly's official website late on Tuesday.
Against CONCACAF champions Monterrey, Ahly will already be missing the services of key defenders Sherif Abdel-Fadil and Sayed Moawad, as well midfielder Hossam Ashour due to injuries.
Ahly are facing Monterrey for the second straight year, having lost to the Mexican side in last year's third-place playoff.
After losing 2-1 to Moroccan side Raja Casablanca in the quarterfinal of the tournament, Monterrey boss is determined to return home with the fifth place spot.
"I respect Ahly. It is not an easy opponent. We know its reputation well and we met last year, but this time will be different as we want to recover from our loss against Raja," explained Cruz.
"We are sure of Ahly's desire to win even though they will be missing some of their key players due to injury. We will make the best use of this shortage to clinch fifth place.
"We are accustomed to winning and also our fans and all my players are determined and ready to get a positive result," the coach concluded.
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