Combative striker Zaki has not been at his best during the past few months but his presence in Egypt's frontline remains vital, with his physical and goalscoring attributes causing havoc for opponents.

Classy playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika, who scored the winning penalty and goal in the team's two successive Nations Cup triumphs in 2006 and 2008, is arguably the most indispensable member of the Pharaohs' squad.

However, it's no use bemoaning their absence at January's Angola finals after they picked up serious injuries. Shehata should now consider how to fill in for them in a practical way.

We have hardly seen Shehata watching Egyptian Premier League games from the stands since he took over at the national team in 2004 but he should now reconsider his stance with two league rounds remaining before Egypt begin their preparations for the Nations Cup.

Fabio Capello goes everywhere in England searching for new players for the Three Lions and Shehata has to do the same if he is to inject new blood, especially that many ageing players in the current Egypt squad near international retirement.

He could now, for instance, keep tabs on Petrojet playmaker Walid Soliman, who has the potential to become a reliable player and be part of Egypt's roster for the Nations Cup instead of the injured Abou-Treika.

Gaish forward Salah Amin, who scored five goals so far this season, Zamalek winger Shikabala and Ismaili playmaker Abdullah Saied could also be options for the highly-respected tactician.

Mido is gradually improving after his loan move to Zamalek in the summer and might be useful in filling the void left by Zaki after an inconsistent spell saw him fall out of favor with Shehata, mainly due to fitness problems.

The are also the likes of Petrojet striker Al-Sayed Hamdi, who already proved his worth on the international stage, Ittihad's Mohamed Nagi (Geddo) and Ismaili's Ahmed Ali.

Shehata should now focus on watching the remaining league games before the Nations Cup and he will find many decent players, who might not be of the same caliber as Abou-Treika and Zaki but at least they could lessen the impact of their absence.