Egypt Rest Mohamed Salah for South Sudan Qualifier Over Artificial Pitch Concerns

Egypt have officially left captain Mohamed Salah out of their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan due to concerns surrounding the artificial playing surface in Juba.

The 34-year-old forward did not travel with the national squad to the South Sudanese capital for Tuesday's fixture after the technical team chose to manage his workload and reduce any potential injury risks.

Salah started for Egypt in Friday's goalless draw against Angola in Cairo—their first fixture since reaching the round of 16 at the World Cup—before being withdrawn on the hour mark by head coach Hossam Hassan.

In a statement confirming his absence, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) explained that the decision had been planned in advance of the international window.

"The Egypt national team's technical staff, led by Hossam Hassan, has decided to rest Mohamed Salah for the match against South Sudan scheduled for 29 September because of the playing surface," the EFA said.

"It was agreed between the national team's technical staff and Mohamed Salah before the Angola match that he would not play against South Sudan, and the technical staff preferred this approach in order to protect the player."

Salah joined Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor in the summer after ending a trophy-laden nine-year spell at Liverpool, where he scored 257 goals in 442 appearances and claimed nine major honours. He has enjoyed a prolific start in Turkey, registering seven goals and two assists in his first six league appearances.