Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:
Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egyptian national team, continues his race against time to be fit for the match against Australia in the round of 32 of the World Cup, scheduled to be held on Friday in Dallas, USA, after he suffered a hamstring injury during the match against Iran, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Salah’s readiness is one of the most prominent issues occupying the technical staff led by Hossam Hassan, given the importance of the match that the Egyptian national team will play after qualifying for the knockout stages for the first time in its history, following its exit from the group stage in the 1990 and 2018 editions.
Salah's treatment program continues
A video posted by the Egyptian national team on social media on Wednesday showed Salah performing rehabilitation exercises inside a gym, away from group training, indicating that his treatment program is continuing, with hopes that he might be able to play in the match.
The team accompanied the video with a message that read: “The road back begins… and the king will return stronger,” referring to the Pharaohs’ captain’s near recovery.
The Egyptian national team is in second place in the group.
Egypt had secured their place in the round of 32 after finishing second in Group G, following a win against New Zealand and draws against Belgium and then Iran.
In contrast, the Australian national team qualified for the knockout stages for the third time in its history and the second time in a row, after finishing the group stage in second place in Group D, achieving a victory over Turkey, a loss to the United States, and then a draw with Paraguay.
New Zealand will not be intimidated by the participation of the national team captain.
The possibility of Salah's participation topped the Australian camp's concerns before the match, but right-back Jordan Buss confirmed that his team would not feel intimidated if the Egyptian national team captain played.
Bos said: “There is respect for Mohamed Salah off the field, but on the field there is only competition. He is a world-class player who has maintained his level for many years, and we have to know how to limit his danger and stop the Egyptian national team.”
He added: “We have already started studying the appropriate playing style, and we will make some adjustments according to the technical staff’s vision before the match.”
The Egyptian national team's coaching staff is awaiting the final hours before the match to determine Mohamed Salah's status, amid high hopes that the Pharaohs' captain will be fit to play in the anticipated clash against Australia.
