Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah may rejoin the club’s training camp before the international break concludes, following Egypt’s recent 2-0 win over Mauritania. Salah contributed to the victory by scoring the second goal in the 79th minute, extending Egypt’s lead. After finding the back of the net, Salah was substituted just before the final whistle, with 23-year-old forward Ibrahim Adel coming on as his replacement. This result keeps Egypt comfortably at the top of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group, sitting on nine points, six points clear of the second-placed team.
Hossam Hassan’s Egypt squad has been in outstanding form throughout their Group C matches, having won all three of their games so far, while scoring nine goals and conceding none. Their campaign began with a 3-0 win against Cape Verde, with goals coming from Rami Rabia, Omar Marmoush, and Ibrahim Adel. Shortly after, they followed up that performance with an impressive 4-0 victory over Botswana. In that game, Salah scored the third goal before being substituted in the 75th minute, making way for Koka.
Egypt’s next match is scheduled for Tuesday, where they will face Mauritania again. However, it is widely expected that Salah will not feature in the game due to several concerns. Reports suggest that the Egyptian forward has requested to sit out the match and may instead return to Liverpool’s training camp early. One of the main reasons for this decision is that the match will be played on artificial turf at Stade Cheikha Ould Boidiya, a surface that could increase the risk of injury. With Liverpool facing a demanding fixture list following the international break, including a key Premier League match against Chelsea on October 20, both Salah and Liverpool are cautious about the potential risk.
Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s manager, acknowledged that Salah is likely to be rested for the upcoming game. He mentioned that Salah expressed concerns over the match, especially given Mauritania’s physical playing style. Salah’s importance to Liverpool’s attack, combined with the risk of injury on artificial turf, makes it likely that he will be absent from the game.
If Salah does indeed miss Egypt’s next match, his early return to Liverpool would allow him extra time to prepare for the Chelsea game. Additionally, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk might also return early after receiving a second yellow card during the Netherlands’ game against Hungary, ruling him out of their next international fixture. The early return of key players like Salah and van Dijk could be a significant boost for Liverpool as they prepare for a more challenging set of fixtures in the 2024/25 season.