Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is expected to be selected for the Egypt national squad to face New Zealand following his appearance for his club in their 5-1 Europa League win against Sparta Prague.
Salah (31) came off the bench in the 74th minute of Liverpool’s match on Friday (NZT), after missing four club matches due to a hamstring injury.
Liverpool have asked the Egypt FA not to select Salah for the W Cup tournament in Abu Dhabi when they face New Zealand on March 22, 2024 (kick-off time to be confirmed).
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However, the Egypt FA have said if Salah returns to play for his club, they plan to name him in the national squad.
The Egypt FA say they have been trying to talk directly with Salah but can’t make contact. They wanted to have the national team doctor, Mohamed Abu El-Ela, evaluate Salah’s fitness level.
Liverpool are trying to manage Salah’s game time with crucial matches coming up in the Europa League, FA Cup and English Premier League.
Ahead of the game against Sparta Prague, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: “We want to be careful and have to be careful (with Salah) but we are in the middle of a super-intense period of the season.”
Of Egypt’s plans to select the forward for the March internationals, Klopp said: “That is nothing to do (with me) really. That will be decided in different departments. No, nothing to do with that.
“Let’s see how long he can play now. As I said, two days in team training — so, in a different situation players are not in the squad at this moment, but in our situation, it makes sense.
“What can we give him? How much can we use him? We will see that.
“And then there are two games with Egypt, but it’s really not up to me or stuff like this, we are not really involved. That is discussed in other departments, let me say it like that.”
Result
Europa League
Game played on Friday March 9, 2024 (NZT)
Sparta Prague 1 (own goal 46′)
Liverpool 5 (Mac Allister 6′, pen), Núñez 25′, 45+3′, Díaz 53′, Szoboszlai, 90+4′)
Egypt’s squad options to face New Zealand
While Egypt are yet to name their squad for the W Cup tournament, the Egypt FA have confirmed which overseas-based players they want available for selection.
These are Mohamed Salah (Liverpool FC), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Trabzonspor), Mostafa Mohamed (FC Nantes), Omar Marmoush (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ahmed Hegazi (Ittihad Jeddah), Hamdi Fathi (Al-Wakrah), Mohamed Sherif (Al-Khaleej).
They have also confirmed the exclusion from the squad of Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny and Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy.
Other players not required for the tournament are Damac’s Tarek Hamed, Amr Warda, and Ahmed Hassan Kouka.
About the W Cup tournament
The winner of the match between New Zealand and Egypt will meet the winner of a match between Tunisia and Croatia in the tournament final on March 26.
The losers of the opening games will play off for third place on March 25.
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