The talented winger picked up a calf injury during the Cairo giants' 1-1 draw with Masri on Wednesday.

Zamalek had been hoping Shikabala would shake off the complaint in time to play against Telecom but suffered a major blow with the news that he would miss the match.

"Shikabala will resume training on Sunday but will not be able to play the following the day, it will be too early for him to step onto the pitch," Zamalek doctor Mostafa Al-Monayeri told FilGoal.com.

The 22-year-old impressed for Zamalek against Masri, creating several clear-cut opportunities for his teammates.

The White Knights struggle to fill in for him whenever he is unavailable as they lack the presence of natural playmakers.

Zamalek, who have never been relegated to the second division, are enduring one of their worst ever league runs.

They are tenth in the 16-team table on 22 points, just three above the relegation zone.