Why Isn't Mohamed Salah Playing for Egypt Today Against South Sudan?

Mohamed Salah is the major absence for Egypt against South Sudan in the AFCON 2027 Qualifiers, but his absence is not due to an injury or a disciplinary decision.

Egypt Decided to Protect Mohamed Salah

Egypt will play its second match of the AFCON 2027 Qualifiers without its captain and biggest star. Mohamed Salah will not be available to face South Sudan this Tuesday in Juba.

According to GOAL.com, the decision was made as a precautionary measure to protect the forward physically. The report is consistent with the official announcement from the Egyptian Football Association, which explained that the coaching staff led by Hossam Hassan decided to rest him because of the artificial playing surface where the match will take place.

In fact, Salah did not travel with the rest of the national team to South Sudan.

The decision was also not made at the last minute. According to the federation, Salah and the coaching staff had already agreed before the match against Angola that the forward would not play in the second qualifier of this international window.

The objective is to avoid unnecessary risks and protect one of the national team's most important players.

Hossam Hassan Dismisses Reports of Problems With Salah

The captain's absence generated some speculation following the 0-0 draw against Angola, particularly because Salah was substituted around the 60th minute.

However, Hossam Hassan denied there was any conflict with the forward and reiterated that his absence against South Sudan had been planned before the first match of this international window.

The coach also emphasized Salah's importance to Egypt and said the decision was made solely to protect the player.

That explanation is consistent with the federation's official statement, which specifically identified the artificial playing surface as the reason for resting him.

Salah played around an hour in the scoreless draw against Angola, a result that left the Pharaohs with one point after the opening matchday.

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Egypt Is Also Protecting Mohamed Abdelmonem

Mohamed Salah is not the only player Egypt decided to protect because of the playing conditions.

Defender Mohamed Abdelmonem also did not travel to Juba. The Egyptian Football Association explained that the player previously underwent ACL surgery and that his club, Nice, provided medical recommendations advising against playing the match on an artificial surface.

Without two important players, Egypt will look to secure its first victory of the AFCON 2027 Qualifiers against South Sudan.

Why Salah Is Missing the Match Against South Sudan

Mohamed Salah will not play against South Sudan as a precautionary measure because of the stadium's artificial playing surface.
GOAL.com reported the decision, which was later supported by the official explanation from the Egyptian Football Association.
Hossam Hassan denied that Salah's absence was related to any conflict after substituting the captain in the previous match.