Mohamed Salah is back in the spotlight regarding his absence from the Egypt national team, after appearing in the starting lineup for Trabzonspor against KuPS on Thursday evening, in the first round of the UEFA Europa Conference League, despite missing the Pharaohs' match against South Sudan due to the game being played on artificial turf.
Thomas Reis, the German coach of Trabzonspor, has announced his team's lineup for the match held at the artificial turf Tamila Stadium, with Mohamed Salah appearing among the starting players. This has reignited questions regarding the reasons for his absence from the last international match.
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has left the Pharaohs' camp ahead of their match against South Sudan in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, after the coaching staff led by Hossam Hassan agreed to rest him for the match.
The Egyptian national team has clarified in an official statement that the coaching staff approved resting Mohamed Salah, amidst debate regarding the match being held on an artificial pitch. These conditions have returned to the discussion after the player appeared as a starter with his Turkish team on a similar surface.
Mohamed Salah's participation in European competitions has raised questions among fans regarding the differing treatment of playing conditions on artificial turf between the national team and Trabzonspor, especially since the nature of the pitch was one of the main points linked to his absence from the match against South Sudan.
The incident has reignited discussions about the relationship between Mohamed Salah and Hossam Hassan amid speculation of a rift between the two. However, the head coach of the Egypt national team has previously denied any issues with the Pharaohs' captain.
Mohamed Salah's participation with Trabzonspor is not enough to conclude there is a dispute between him and the national team's coaching staff, as there has been no confirmation linking the decision to rest him from the international match to any personal crisis.
As fans await clarifications regarding the reasons for the player's differing participation between the club and the national team, the decision to rest him against South Sudan remains tied to what the Egyptian coaching staff announced. Meanwhile, his participation on artificial turf has reignited the debate surrounding the circumstances of his absence.
