After being spotted training alongside his Egypt teammates at yesterday’s training session in Grozny, manager Hector Cuper has today revealed that star forward Mohamed Salah is almost certain to feature against Uruguay on Friday in Yekaterinburg.
“I can almost 100 percent say he will play, save for any unforeseen factors at the last minute,” Cuper said. “We’re trying to make him feel confident. The doctors are giving him the options to play or not. I know Salah very well, he’s not fearful, we always know we’re running a risk when playing a match, that’s something we can’t hide.
“But if he does decide to play he’ll have full guarantees on his physical condition and I’m sure he will be fine. And if it does turn out there’s an issue at the last minute we’ll consider it and see if it can be resolved.”
That sound you now hear? That’s the internal screaming of Uruguay left back Martin Caceres.
Salah’s exploits for Liverpool last season are well documented. The forward’s 32 Premier League goals fired the club to a fourth-place finish, while a tally of 10 goals and four assists in the Champions League helped the club to the final in Kiev. Of course, that’s where Real Madrid and Spain captain Sergio Ramos — how do we say this — played an active role in injuring the Egyptian’s shoulder ligaments.
“Bloody hell, it’s all been blown out of all proportion,” said Ramos after the final. “I didn’t want to talk but everything gets magnified. [Salah] pulls my arm first, and I fall on the other side. Then when his other arm is injured, they say that I’ve done a judo move on him.
“I’ve exchanged messages with Salah and he was pretty good. If he had an injection he could have played the second half, I’ve done it sometimes. It was not such a big thing, but it seems if Ramos does it, it stands out a bit more.”
Ramos’ claim that Salah could’ve carried on in the UCL final with a shoulder injection has been dismissed by Cuper, who had this to say last week: “Sergio Ramos said that with an injection he could have played the second half. I’m not a doctor, I don’t know if Ramos is a doctor, but it’s a player who is playing a final and has an injury, I’ve no doubt he would keep playing if it was possible. This is a Champions League final, something extraordinary that does not come around again in your life.
“My opinion is that Salah has an important injury and is now recovering, we are optimistic that he can play at the World Cup. Many things are said, but the reality is what the doctors confirm.”
While Salah proved instrumental for Liverpool throughout the season, there's no understating his status as the be all and end all with regards to Egypt’s World Cup hopes.
The attacker was the leading scorer in all of African qualifying for the third round with five goals. He scored the game-winner against Uganda back in September before following that up with an all-important brace against Congo, including a vital 94th minute penalty to secure Egypt’s first World Cup finals appearance since 1990.
The18 Recommends For You
