Salah ruled out against South Sudan to protect knees from synthetic pitch

Mohamed Salah will not set foot on the synthetic pitch at Juba stadium on Tuesday evening. The Egyptian Football Federation announced on Saturday that the Trabzonspor forward will be rested for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan, in agreement with the technical staff.

The decision was made even before the Pharaohs’ first match, a 0-0 draw against Angola. According to the Federation’s official statement, an agreement had been reached beforehand between the staff and Salah to avoid any risk on this type of surface: “The technical staff has decided to rest Mohamed Salah for the match against South Sudan due to the pitch surface. The technical staff chose this solution to protect the player.”

Salah is not the only one being spared. Mohamed Abdelmonem, centre-back at OGC Nice, is also ruled out for this trip. The Federation justifies his absence by “the anterior cruciate ligament surgery previously undergone by the player” and by the “medical warnings” issued by his club. A similar precaution, dictated by the same artificial pitch in Juba.

Egypt, which failed to win in their opening match against Angola, therefore approach this second qualifying match without their two players most exposed to the risk of injury. Managing Salah’s physical condition, whose international career has sometimes been disrupted by muscle problems, remains a priority for the Pharaohs’ staff.