Egypt Coach Clarifies Salah's Situation

Egypt's national team coach, Hossam Hassan, announced that Mohamed Salah would undergo a medical examination after the captain requested to be substituted during their 1-1 World Cup draw against Iran. This incident has raised concerns about his fitness ahead of the tournament's knockout stage. The forward appeared visibly frustrated when he left the pitch just 12 minutes into the second half. Hassan stated it was too early to determine the exact issue, which, at least initially, did not seem serious. "He asked to come off himself. If a player asks to be substituted, it means he's felt something. We will ascertain the problem. We will examine him," the coach told the media.

The specialist expressed no concerns about the overall health of his squad, including Salah. "I have Egyptian players who deserve the trust placed in them. They are like true soldiers. I am not worried about missing players. I have complete faith in everyone in this squad. If I worried every time we had an injury, then I wouldn't be fit to coach the national team. We will prepare by working hard on what lies ahead for us in the near future," Hossam Hassan added.