Salah Released Early from Egypt Duty, Misses Mauritania Qualifier
Mohamed Salah Released Early from International Duty, Will Miss Mauritania Qualifier
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah will not feature in Egypt’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Mauritania next week, as confirmed by his club on Saturday. The 32-year-old forward has been released early from international duty amid concerns over playing on artificial turf and injury risks.
On Friday, Salah played a pivotal role in Egypt’s 2-0 victory over Mauritania, scoring the second goal to seal the win. However, Egypt manager Hossam Hassan expressed concerns about the potential impact of playing on Mauritania’s artificial turf on Salah’s fitness.
Egypt, the record seven-time African champions, currently sit atop Group C with a perfect record after three rounds. They need just a single point in their next match to secure qualification for the tournament.
Liverpool also confirmed that Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk has been released early from international duty after receiving two yellow cards in the Netherlands’ 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw with Hungary.
Both Salah and van Dijk will not participate in any further international matches this month, as Liverpool seeks to manage their workload and minimize the risk of injuries.