Egypt have opted to leave star forward Mohamed Salah out of their squad for Tuesday's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan, citing concerns over the artificial turf surface at the venue in Juba.
The 34-year-old, who now plays for Turkish side Trabzonspor after nine years at Liverpool, did not travel with the rest of the Egyptian national team to the South Sudanese capital for the fixture. The decision comes just days after Salah featured in Egypt's goalless draw with Angola in Cairo, a match in which he was withdrawn by head coach Hossam Hassan after 60 minutes.
The Egyptian Football Association confirmed the reasoning behind the move in an official statement, explaining that the technical staff under Hassan chose to give Salah a rest specifically because of the artificial pitch he would have had to play on in South Sudan. According to the federation, the decision was not a last-minute call but one that had been discussed and agreed upon in advance.
"The Egypt national team's technical staff, led by Hossam Hassan, has decided to rest Mohamed Salah for the match against South Sudan scheduled for 29 September because of the playing surface," the EFA said in its statement. The federation added: "It was agreed between the national team's technical staff and Mohamed Salah before the Angola match that he would not play against South Sudan, and the technical staff preferred this approach in order to protect the player."
The move reflects a long-standing caution within football circles regarding artificial surfaces, which many players and coaches believe carry a heightened risk of injury compared to natural grass pitches. This perception persists even though scientific research into the matter has not produced conclusive evidence supporting a greater injury risk on artificial turf. Regardless, Egypt's staff appear to have erred on the side of caution when it came to safeguarding one of their most important attacking assets ahead of a crucial period in the qualifying campaign.
Salah's importance to both club and country remains significant despite his departure from the Premier League. He left Liverpool this past summer having spent nine seasons at Anfield, during which he became one of the club's most celebrated modern-era players. In that time, he made 442 appearances for the Reds and scored 257 goals, contributing to nine major trophy wins including Premier League and Champions League success.
Since joining Trabzonspor, Salah has continued to demonstrate his goal-scoring instincts in Turkey's top flight. Across six appearances in the Turkish Super Lig so far this season, he has already netted seven goals and provided two assists, numbers that underline why Egypt's coaching staff remain keen to manage his workload and minimize any unnecessary risk to his fitness.
With Salah unavailable, Egypt will need to find attacking solutions without their talisman as they look to maintain their strong position in the race for Africa Cup of Nations qualification. The team had already shown resilience in their previous outing, holding Angola to a stalemate in Cairo, and will be aiming to secure a positive result against South Sudan despite missing their most influential player.
Whether Salah returns for Egypt's subsequent qualifiers remains to be seen, but for now, the focus is on ensuring his fitness is preserved as the Pharaohs continue their pursuit of a place at the next Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.