By Razeen Gutta
In a club versus country spat over the fitness of Mohamed Salah, the Pharaohs claim they have been unable to communicate with the player after calling him up against the Reds’ wishes.
Liverpool asked Egypt to exempt their star man from the national team camp in Abu Dhabi where the team is set to face New Zealand in a friendly competition later this month.
The Pharaohs rejected the request from Jurgen Klopp’s side, saying they would instead like to assess their captain’s fitness themselves.
Salah’s injury during the group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations has seen him make just one appearance for Liverpool so far this year.
In a lengthy letter sent by the Merseyside club, Klopp asked Egypt to prioritise the player’s long-term health and wellbeing and not risk his fitness for a friendly tournament.
National football chiefs rejected the request, however, saying that they want Egyptian doctor Mohamed Abu El-Ela to conduct his own assessment of the player. They added that they would “adhere to his inclusion” in the side if he played any minutes for Liverpool before the international break.
With Salah now photographed returning to team training on Wednesday, a member of the Egyptian Football Association said they have been unable to communicate with the player.
“The Egyptian national team, led by Hossam Hassan and Ibrahim Hassan, could not communicate with Mohamed Salah so far,” Ehab El Komy said per the Daily Mail.
“There hasn’t been any meeting between the technical staff of Egypt and Mohamed Salah yet.”
Pictured above: Mohamed Salah.
Image source: @lfc
