“Ibrahim is suffering from severe flu complications that prevented him from flying with the national team to Ethiopia on Tuesday morning,” read a statement by the EFA.

The 29-year-old Ibrahim played from the start in Sunday's 1-0 victory over Guinea in the opening match of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers.

Ahly defender Mohamed Abdel-Moneim, 23, has also missed the Pharaohs’ trip to Ethiopia to complete his rehabilitation program from a muscular injury.

On Monday, the EFA announced that Egypt skipper and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, 29, also will not be available for Ethiopia game after medical scans revealed that he suffers from a minor muscular strain.

Later on Monday, Egypt coach Ehab Galal revealed that he has included both Ismaily defender Baher El-Mohamadi and Future FC winger Ahmed Refaat in his squad for Thursday’s game as replacements for the injured players.

Ahead of heading to Cairo airport on Tuesday, all the national team players have tested negative for coronavirus.

After Thursday’s game, Egypt’s team will fly to Seoul to play a friendly against South Korea on 14 June.

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