Mohamed Salah has been granted permission to skip Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Mauritania on Tuesday, should he choose to do so, due to concerns over the dangerous artificial pitch.
Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s technical director, publicly extended this offer to the Liverpool star, expressing worries that Salah could be at risk of injury if he participates in the match.
Salah scored in Egypt’s 2-0 victory over Mauritania in Cairo on Friday, but the two teams are set to face each other again in the return fixture early next week.
Hassan has raised concerns about the quality of the artificial turf, stating that Egypt’s opponents play “hard and with violent interventions.”
He said: “If any player asks me not to play on artificial turf, I will agree.
“The Mauritanian team plays hard and with violent interventions, and their field is not the best.
“If Salah specifically asks me to do so, I will agree.”
Egypt are firmly in control of Group C, having won all three of their opening AFCON qualifiers without conceding a goal.
Currently, there has been no confirmation regarding Mohamed Salah’s availability for the upcoming match.
The 32-year-old, who has earned 103 caps for The Pharaohs, is still expected to participate.
Coach Hassan seems relaxed about the upcoming fixture, emphasizing that a victory is not essential given the strong position Egypt has established in the group.
Hassan added: “I was very worried about the Mauritania match, and the pitch there is very difficult.
“Even if I don’t win there, it doesn’t matter.
“What matters to me is that I don’t lose.”
Speaking after Friday’s victory, Salah expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, having scored his 59th goal for his country.
He said: “Congratulations on the victory.
“We are not few.
“The Egyptian team must play with a different, fast and offensive rhythm.
“The Mauritania match is difficult and the team is very heavy.
“We did not win by chance.”
Liverpool received a boost ahead of next week’s Premier League showdown with Chelsea at Anfield, as the Netherlands confirmed that captain Virgil van Dijk would be returning to Merseyside early following his red card against Hungary on Friday.
Van Dijk, who was sent off after receiving two yellow cards, was initially expected to remain with the national team for the duration of their camp before Monday’s Nations League match against Germany.
However, the Netherlands have now confirmed his release, allowing him some extra rest before facing the Blues.
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