Egypt manager Hossam Hassan revealed that Mohamed Salah was confident he would be available for the nation’s first ever World Cup knockout tie despite being forced off against Iran.
Salah lasted less than an hour of Egypt’s helter-skelter group stage finale in Seattle on Friday, trotting over to the side of the pitch to be replaced by Zizo while the game was still very much in the balance at 1–1. For all the inane conspiracy theories about Hassan deliberately hampering Salah so that he won’t surpass his international scoring record for Egypt, this was a decision made by the player’s body.
“I talked to Salah and he said he’s going to be O.K. and it’s not a big injury,” Hassan insisted after the match which confirmed Egypt’s spot as Group G runner-up.
“We still have time to talk to the medical staff,” the manager added. “I think he will be back, and when I spoke to Salah he assured me he’s going to be O.K.”
Salah’s Past Recoveries, Race Against the World Cup Clock
Salah’s very involvement at this tournament is a testament to his powers of recovery. The Liverpool icon looked to have played his last game at Anfield when he hobbled off against Crystal Palace in April. However, as Arne Slot warned at the time: “Mo has shown in the past that he can recover faster than other players might in similar situations because he takes such good care of his body.”
That confidence proved to be well placed as Salah was back on the pitch with ample time to have a fitting Merseyside farewell. There will have to be a quicker turnaround this summer.
Salah retreated to the touchline of Lumen Field on Saturday, June 27. The 34-year-old has until the morning of Friday, July 3 to be ready for Egypt’s round of 32 tie with Australia. That’s a little less than a week and involves a 2,000-mile trek from the Pacific Northwest to Dallas.
WIN FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ FINAL TICKETS
Australia has had the luxury of knowing its destination for an extra day and a journey which is around 400 miles shorter.
Despite his struggles this season, Salah is comfortably the most accomplished player across both rosters. In a game which may morph into an attritional affair between two sides not particularly inclined to seize the initiative in matches, someone with the craft and caliber of Salah could make the difference. But only if he is fit.
