Ahly have been dealt a further defensive blow with the news that Ramy Rabea will be ruled out of action for six months as he needs a surgery to repair a fractured backbone.

“Rabea will travel to Germany on Wednesday to undergo a surgery on his backbone,” Ahly football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz told the club’s official website on Saturday.

“The player will be out of action for six months. The player’s full recovery is our priority now and then we will talk about his return date.”

The 20-year-old player, who has been suffering from back pain, returned to training earlier this month, but he aggravated the injury during a low-key friendly game on 13 December.

The Cairo giants are already without defenders Mohamed Naguib and Sherif Abdel-Fadil who are nursing injuries.

Ahly are second in the Egyptian Premier League table with 17 points, five behind leaders Harras El-Hodoud who have played two games more.

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