Mahmoud Elassal - Ahram
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has clarified the absence of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah from the national team's March training camp, saying that both Salah and his club requested the player's exclusion to prioritize his recovery from a recent injury.
"Salah's exclusion from the final squad came after a request from the player and his club, as he prefers to focus on his recovery and train with Liverpool," Hossam Hassan said during a press conference on Sunday.
According to the national team coach, the Egyptian Football Association received the joint request to exclude Salah from the March camp.
"Salah is an invaluable asset to the national team, and his presence in the squad adds considerable strength to the Pharaohs. We had hoped for his participation," Hossam Hassan explained.
Despite acknowledging Salah's importance, he said, "We cannot force a player to join the squad." "We do not want to jeopardize his return to full performance following the injury," he added.
Since sustaining a hamstring injury during a group-stage game against Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations in January, Salah has seen limited playing time, making a brief substitute appearance of 46 minutes in Liverpool's recent Europa League match.
He made his comeback in the team's impressive 5-1 away victory over Sparta Prague in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 last week, playing the final 16 minutes of the match.
This appearance confirmed his recovery from the muscle injury that had kept him sidelined for several matches. The Pharaohs are gearing up to participate in a friendly tournament in the UAE, scheduled from 22 to 26 March.
Tunisia, Croatia, and New Zealand will also compete in the tournament. Egypt's opening match is set against New Zealand on 22 March. The winner of that match will face the victor between Tunisia and Croatia.
"The foreign-based players will arrive on 17 March, while the domestic squad will join on 13 March, and we will fly to the UAE on 18 March," stated Ibrahim Hassan, the Egypt national team football director.
At 57 years old, Hossam Hassan is taking charge of the Pharaohs for the first time after being appointed following the dismissal of Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria in February.
