Volgograd: The 2017-18 season has produced contrasting fortunes for Egyptian Mohamed Salah where he witnessed his best domestic season with Liverpool and suffered heartbreaks at the ongoing World Cup.
After a stunning debut season for Liverpool, Salah was elevated to Ballon D’Or contention, now all he has left to play for is a chance to avoid a World Cup wooden spoon.
His long season will officially end Monday here in a dead rubber, when the eliminated pair of Egypt and Saudi Arabia face off to administer the last rites to their sorry campaigns.
It could be argued Salah’s season ended 30 days earlier, 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) to the west in Kiev May 26, when he was slammed to the turf by Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos, causing a painful separation of his left shoulder.
The 26-year-old took a full part in training here Sunday and will play against Saudi Arabia because he wants to lead Egypt to a first ever win at the World Cup.
Egyptian Football Association president Hany Abo Rida denied Liverpool had put pressure on them to leave Salah out of the final game.
“No we did not receive anything from Liverpool. When the player is with the national team, it is for us to decide,” he said before they left their training base in Grozny, in the once war-torn republic of Chechnya.
Salah may end Egyptian career
Volgograd: The game against Saudi Arabia can well be Mohamed Salah’s last for Egypt, team sources indicated here Sunday. According to team officials and teammates Salah is considering retiring from international play because he is angry about being used as a political symbol by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov while the World Cup squad was based there. Two of his close teammates said Salah felt really unhappy after being conferred honorary citizenship of Chechnya. Even though, he has said nothing about it, an official statement from the player is expected after Egypt end their WC campaign.