Egypt's technical staff have left Nice defender Mohamed Abdelmonem out of the squad travelling to South Sudan on Sunday afternoon, ahead of Tuesday's meeting between the two sides in the second round of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Pharaohs boss Ibrahim Hassan confirmed the decision on the Egyptian Football Association's official account on "X". Abdelmonem will not join the delegation, having previously undergone a cruciate ligament operation, with the medical report from Nice warning against him playing on artificial turf.
Read also
Bayern Munich compete with Barcelona for the World Cup winner
How long will Mbappé and Konaté be out for Real Madrid?
Captain Mohamed Salah had already been released from the camp. The Egyptian Football Association announced he would not travel to South Sudan, explaining that Hossam Hassan's staff had decided to rest him because the match is played on artificial turf. The two parties, the association added, had agreed he would sit out the fixture before the Angola match.
Press reports told a different story. They spoke of tension between Salah and his manager after the Trabzonspor star was substituted in the 61st minute against Angola, a goalless draw at Cairo Stadium.
South Sudan lost 2-1 away to Malawi in the first round of qualifying.