Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was due to captain Egypt over the international break.
Mohamed Salah will have another rest over the international break after being allowed to pull out of the Egypt squad.
The forward has scored 41 goals in 67 caps for his national team but has been granted time to rest by new coach Hossam El-Badry.
The Pharaohs’ next game was due to be against Botswana on October 14 and Salah was originally named captain of the squad.
El-Badry got in contact with Salah, though, following a report on the fitness of overseas-based players by the team doctor.
Salah expressed a desire to dodge the friendly and El-Badry granted the forward his wish.
“I agreed with him that it is in his best interests and those of the national team that he rests,” El-Badry told local channel MBC Masr.
“He won’t be with us at the training camp for Botswana.”
Salah has played more minutes than any other Liverpool player bar Virgil van Dijk this season and both parties are wary of the star burning out.
“But, God willing, he will be with us for the official matches,” El-Badry added.
Those “official matches” in question are the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Egypt have been drawn into a group with Kenya, Togo and Comoros, from which they are expected to progress.
Salah’s selection and subsequent omission is not the first peculiar occurrence to happen between the striker and Egypt national team.
Earlier this week Salah removed any mention of his national team from his Twitter bio.
A few days prior, it emerged that two votes for Salah in the Best Fifa men’s player award from the Egyptian FA were not accepted because the signatures on the forms were in capital letters.
Regardless of national team distractions, Salah’s rest should put him in good stead for Liverpool’s trip to Old Trafford on Sunday 20 October – the first game back from the international break.
Source:www.express.co.uk