Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has suggested that Liverpool forward Mo Salah could be in danger of getting injured if he plays against Mauritania in an AFCON qualifier on Tuesday evening.

With the game not being played on natural grass and the fact that he expects Egypt’s opponents to be very aggressive, Hassan said he would permit Salah and others to miss the fixture if they made the request:

“If any player asks me not to play on artificial turf, I will agree. The Mauritanian team plays hard and with violent interventions, and their field is not the best. If Salah specifically asks me to do so, I will agree.”

“I was very worried about the Mauritania match, and the pitch there is very difficult. Even if I don’t win there, it doesn’t matter. What matters to me is that I don’t lose.”

Salah scored against Mauritania on Friday

Egypt are playing a doubleheader during the current international break, and they won the first match.

Salah scored the second of Egypt’s goals in a 2-0 victory in Cairo. Trezeguet had put the home side ahead on 69 minutes before the Liverpool star secured the three points for his country.

Liverpool team news ahead of the game against Chelsea

While it remains to be seen if Salah comes through Egypt’s next fixture unscathed, manager Arne Slot knows he will already be without at least two players when they host Chelsea at Anfield next weekend.

Alisson Becker has been ruled out for six weeks with a hamstring injury, while Harvey Elliott is still recovering from a fractured foot.

The fitness of Federico Chiesa and Alexis Mac Allister remains touch and go. The latter missed Argentina’s 1-1 draw against Venezuela earlier this week but he could return to face Bolivia on Tuesday night. Caoimhin Kelleher is back available, having recovered from illness.

Find out who is in Liverpool’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here