Liverpool star Mohamed Salah to skip Egypt match due to injury fears

Mohamed Salah will skip Egypt’s next match against Mauritania due to concerns over the perilous artificial pitch. Egypt technical director Hossam Hassan gave Salah permission to pull out of the team.

The Liverpool winger, who scored in Egypt’s 2-0 triumph over Mauritania in Cairo, was handed some cautionary advice from Hassan ahead of the reverse fixture.

Hassan was nervous about Salah’s risk of injury and laid bare his worries over the artificial surface and also addressed the tough style of play adopted by the Mauritanian squad.

He said: “If any player asks me not to play on artificial turf, I will agree. The Mauritanian team plays hard and with violent interventions, and their field is not the best. If Salah specifically asks me to do so, I will agree.”

And it has now been confirmed Egypt will rest their captain for next week’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

Egypt stand as the commanding force in Group C, having clinched all three opening AFCON qualifier matches without a single goal against them.

Hassan said: “I was very worried about the Mauritania match, and the pitch there is very difficult. Even if we don’t win there, it doesn’t matter. What matters to me is that we don’t lose.”

In another boost for Liverpool, Netherlands skipper Virgil van Dijk is set to return to Merseyside sooner than anticipated after being issued a red card in the Netherlands’ clash with Hungary on Friday.

Despite expectations that Van Dijk would remain with Oranje for the remainder of their training camp, Holland have confirmed the defender’s early release to give him additional recovery time prior to next weekend’s visit of Chelsea to Anfield.