Walk like an Egyptian: Furious Wigan reveal AWOL on loan striker Amr Zaki has blown his chance of a permanent deal

Wigan assistant Eric Black has revealed that Amr Zaki has still not returned from international duty and believes he has blown any chance of a permanent deal.

• Latics boss Steve Bruce launched an extraordinary tirade at the striker last night when he labelled the Egyptian the “most unprofessional player I have ever dealt with”, after the on loan failed to arrive back at the JJB Stadium after playing for his country against Zambia on Sunday.
• It is the fourth time this season the 26-year-old has gone absent without leave following an Egypt match.
• And with Zaki only on loan at Wigan from Zamalek until the end of the season, Black believes his behaviour is doing him “no favours” with a permanent deal looking increasingly unlikely.
• ‘He has not appeared again this morning and it is obviously disappointing,’ he said.
• ‘For me it is disrespectful to your fellow players and that would hurt me more. It is disappointing but he has been dealt with by the manager in the right manner.
• ‘The manager will make the big decisions, he has dealt with it all along and dealt with it well.
• ‘Knowing the dressing room like I do though, I don’t think it will have a big effect at all.
• ‘He’s paid to be a professional footballer and to turn up and train and give his all for the club, and that has been put in jeopardy by his behaviour.’
• Zaki has netted 10 times for Wigan this season but has not scored since December 28 and Black believes his time at Wigan could be running out unless he changes his attitude.
• I would suggest this behaviour is not going to be beneficial to keeping him here but you never know, the manager will have to make that decision,’ he added.
• ‘In terms of others looking at the player, that will have to be up to them – they will have to make their own judgements on him but he is certainly doing himself no favours at the moment.
• ‘You can’t take his goals away – at the start of the season he scored 10 goals up until about October but there is a lot of time between October and now.
• ‘Amr Zaki has not kept us in the division – it is the players in that dressing room that have done that.’
• Black also outlined his concerns about the rest of the season and has warned Wigan’s players not to relax now they have hit the 40-point mark, insisting they have to keep battling right to the death.
• He said: ‘The players are ambitious and it is important now that the season does not just drift away.
• ‘The first challenge was to break the 40-point barrier which we have done, so we now have to try to end the season on a high.’