CAIRO: Goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi s return to action is contingent on him extending his deal with Ismaili, the team s assistant coach said on Saturday.
Sobhi s current contract runs out next summer and he turned down Ismaili s offer to prolong his stay for three years.
The coastal club said they were not willing to improve their LE 3.6 million offer for the 28-year-old keeper.
Sobhi will play once he pens the new deal. He doesn t have any problems with that, Mahmoud Gaber told FilGoal.com.
We didn t field him (in the friendly game) against Lierse because he is yet to accept our offer.
Sobhi, a one-club man who was promoted to Ismaili s first team in 2001, used to be the team s regular keeper but a string of poor displays during the past two seasons prompted the club to sign veteran goalie Essam Al-Hadari.
Al-Hadari, widely regarded as the best keeper in Egypt s history, is now the Dervishes first-choice man to stand between the sticks.
Egyptian champions Ahly, whom Al-Hadari abruptly left in February 2008, said they might make a move for Sobhi.
