Mohamed Salah will not join Egypt’s team for Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan. The match will take place on an artificial pitch.
The 34-year-old forward, now with Turkish club Trabzonspor, did not travel with the Egyptian squad to Juba for the game on September 29.
Salah played in Egypt’s goalless draw with Angola in Cairo on Friday but was taken off after one hour.
BBC Sport reported on Saturday that the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said the decision to rest Salah was made between the national team’s coaching staff and the player before the Angola match.
The EFA stated that the coaching staff, led by Hossam Hassan, chose to leave Salah out of the South Sudan match due to the pitch and to look out for the player’s health.
Some players and teams believe that playing on artificial surfaces can lead to more injuries. But research has not proven that artificial pitches always have a higher risk of injury overall.
Salah left Liverpool at the end of last season after spending nine years there. He made 442 appearances and scored 257 goals while at the club, winning nine major trophies during his time at Anfield.
Since joining Trabzonspor, Salah has played six times in the Turkish Super Lig this season. He has scored seven goals and made two assists.
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