Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah will be absent from the match between Egypt and Cape Verde, according to the official announcement from this team. However, Liverpool fans do not need to worry, because this star was simply given a break during the national team training session in November.
Egypt played hard at the Al Ain International Cup in the UAE, where they faced Iran, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde in a friendly tournament involving 4 teams. In the recent semi-final, Salah played the full 90 minutes in the match against Uzbekistan. However, Egypt surprisingly lost 0-2 and lost the opportunity to participate in the final against Iran.
Instead, they will face Cape Verde in the third-place match, and the coaching staff has decided to let Salah rest. The Egyptian Football Federation also confirmed his absence in an official announcement issued last weekend.
According to the published information, the Egyptian team under the leadership of coach Hossam Hassan had a training session at Al Ain to prepare for the friendly match with Cape Verde.
The Egyptian Football Federation confirmed that the duo Ahmed Sayed Zizo and Hamdi Fathi will be absent due to injury, while Salah Mohsen will only participate in recovery exercises. Salah has also been given a full break and will not feature in the friendly match.
With Salah not playing in the match against Cape Verde, the 33-year-old striker will have enough time to recover before Liverpool return to play after the international break.
However, Salah's international obligations in the calendar year have not ended. He will captain the Egyptian team at the African Cup of Nations taking place next month in Morocco, opening on December 21.
Egypt is in Group B with South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe, meaning Salah will be absent from at least 3 matches for Liverpool. If Egypt reach the final at Rabat on January 18, he could miss up to eight games, including important trips to Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.
Salah has not been able to find his best form this season, and his performance is being increasingly scrutinized. Although he won the Premier League Golden Boot last season, Salah has only scored five goals and provided three assists this season in 16 appearances.
With a reasonable break, Salah will almost certainly be in the Liverpool starting lineup when they host Nottingham Forest at Anfield at the weekend. This is good news for coach Arne Slot, as he is in dire need of this striker to regain his form soon.
