Egypt striker Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' is suffering a hamstring injury that sidelined him in Barnsley's 2-1 defeat by Cardiff on Saturday, the English second-division club coach Keith Hill revealed late on Monday.

Mido, who has struggled with weight and fitness problems since joining Barnsley last summer from Egypt's Zamalek, made his debut with the club in their 1-0 loss to Huddersfield Town in the English second division (Championship) earlier this month.

The 29-year old attacker was not seen in the pitch or even on the bench and the coach here reveals the secret of his recent absence when he was asked about the player by the Daily Mail reporter.

"He’s injured. Very injured," admitted Hill.

"The problem is that bad back affects his hamstrings," he added.

The former Middlesbrough, Wigan and West Ham forward started his career abroad with Belgian side Ghent in 2000 and also played for Ajax (the Netherlands), Marseille (France), Celta Vigo (Spain) and Tottenham (England).

The nomadic striker has recently announced that he will be the host for a new television programme on Egyptian satellite channel Al-Hayat, insisting that does not mean he will retire from professional football.

Suffering constant weight problems for the past few years, Mido has not played for the Egyptian national team since taking part in a friendly game against Malawi in December 2009.

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