- Salah one of 15 foreign-based players in the 23
- He could be fit to face Ƶ on June 25
CAIRO: Mohamed Salah is set to play some part in the World Cup after he was named in Egypt’s official squad.
Salah’s participation was cast into major doubt when he was withdrawn injured in the first half of the Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid in Kiev on May 26.
The Egyptian walked off the pitch in tears and there was a fear the injury to his left shoulder would keep him out of the showpiece tournament in Russia.
But a Liverpool physio said last week that he expects Salah to be sidelined for “between three and four weeks," meaning he could be fit for the key game with Ƶ on June 25.
The Liverpool forward was optimistic about his recovery when posting on social media on Sunday.
“Good feelings... ,” Salah said on his official Twitter account along with a picture of him at the gym.
Salah missed Egypt’s goalless draw with Colombia last Friday as the North Africans continue their World Cup preparations.
Egypt play Belgium in their final warm-up game on Wednesday before opening their World Cup campaign against Group A rivals Uruguay on June 15. Hosts Russia and Ƶ also compete in the same group.
Egypt’s squad includes 15 foreign-based players, most notably Salah, Mohamed Elneny, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Ramadan Sobhi, Ahmed Hegazi and Abdallah El-Said.
The eight Egypt-based players are Al Ahly’s Sherif Ekramy, Mohamed El-Shennawy, Ayman Ashraf, Ahmed Fathi Saad Samir, Marwan Mohsen, and Zamalek’s Mahmoud Hamdy El-Wensh and Tarek Hamed.
The unlucky five players to be cut from the 29-man squad were Mohamed Awaad, SC Braga forward Ahmed Hassan Kouka, Orlando City’s Amro Tarek, Zamalek’s Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz, Al-Masry forward Ahmed Gomaa, and Karim Hafez of RC Lens.
Egypt’s World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Essam El-Hadary (Al-Taawoun), Mohamed El-Shennawy (Al-Ahly), Sherif Ekramy (Al-Ahly).
Defenders: Ahmed Fathi (Al-Ahly), Saad Samir (Al-Ahly), Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Mohamed AbdelShafy (Al-Fath), Ahmed Hegazi (West Brom), Ali Gabr (West Brom), Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa), Omar Gaber (LAFC), Mahmoud Hamdy El-Wensh (Zamalek).
Midfielders: Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Mahmoud Abdel-Razik Shikabala (Al-Raed), Abdallah El-Said (Al-Ahli), Sam Mursi (Wigan), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal), Mahmoud Kahraba (Ittihad), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Kasimpasa), Amr Warda (Atromitos).
Forwards: Marwan Mohsen (Al-Ahly), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).