Cairo: Injured Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah has been included in the final 23-member Egypt World Cup squad, head coach Hector Cuper Monday.
Salah picking up a shoulder injury in a mix up with Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos during their Champions League final May 26 which Liverpool eventually lost 1-2 and faces a race against time to regain fitness for the World Cup.
Salah, the 2018 Best African Footballer, is seen by Egyptians as a national hero who finally secured his country a seat in the world’s top football competition after 28 years of absence.
One of the surprises of announcing the final squad was excluding Braga striker Ahmed Kouka Hassan, who has been a key player of the national team since Cuper became the boss.
Egypt will kick off their World Cup campaign June 15 against Uruguay and then face hosts Russia June 19. Their final group stage match will be against Saudi Arabia June 25.
The squad: (Goalkeepers) Essam El-Hadary, Mohamed El-Shennawi, Sherif Ekramy; (Defenders) Ali Gabr, Ahmed Hegazi, Mahmoud El-Winsh Hamdy, Saad Samir, Ayman Ashraf, Ahmed Fathi, Omar Gaber, Ahmed Elmohamady, Mohamed Abdel-Shafi; (Midfielders) Tarek Hamed, Mohamed Elneny, Sam Morsy, Abdallah El-Said, Mahmoud Shikabala Abdel Razek, Mahmoud Trezeguet Hassan, Ramadan Sobhi, Mahmoud Kahraba, Amr Warda; (Forwards) Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen.