Egypt star Mohamed Salah has been left out of the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan as the match will be played on artificial turf.
The 34-year-old striker, who left Liverpool in the summer to join Turkish side Trabzonspor, did not travel with the team to the capital Juba for Tuesday's match. On Friday, he started in the 0-0 draw with Angola in Cairo but was substituted after an hour by coach Hossam Hassan.
“The technical staff of the Egyptian national team, led by Hossam Hassan, decided to rest Mohamed Salah for the match against South Sudan, scheduled for September 29, due to the pitch“, the Egyptian Football Association announced. The club added that the decision was made by mutual consent before the match with Angola, in order to protect the player.
Although modern research does not show a categorically higher risk of injuries on artificial surfaces compared to natural grass, such concerns still exist among players and coaches.
Salah ended his 9-year stay at Liverpool at the end of last season, having recorded 442 matches, 257 goals and won 9 major trophies with the Merseysiders. Since the start of his current campaign with Trabzonspor, he has been in excellent form, already having 7 goals and 2 assists in 6 matches in the Turkish Super League.