By Amr Shaheen BBC Sport Online, Cairo

German Bundesliga side Kaiserslautern have announced that Egypt defender Hany Ramzy is in hospital suffering from suspected tuberculosis.

Ramzy was admitted on 3 September and was treated for pneumonia, but doctors now believe a misdiagnosis may have occurred.

Officials at the club confirmed Ramzy will not be participating in any matches for an extended period of time.

Kaiserslautern's Belgian coach Eric Gerets expressed deep grief for his key player.

"We are very sorry for Ramzy," Gerets said.

"He's a big player with great experience and we will definitely be affected by his absence, but our main concern now is his recovery."

2002 has been a very bad year in Ramzy's personal and professional life.

In March, he was faced with a sexual harassment case that nearly ruined his career in Europe.

And his international career has been no better, with a poor Nations Cup in Mali and an absence from the World Cup finals.

He was harshly criticized by the Egyptian media for missing a Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar on 8 September, which they lost 1-0.

The 32-year old veteran is the most popular football figure in Egypt and the news of his illness has shocked football fans at home.