Egypt have opted to leave Mohamed Salah out of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan, citing concerns over the artificial playing surface at the venue in Juba.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) confirmed that the decision was reached in agreement with Salah before Egypt's previous qualifier — a goalless draw with Angola in Cairo on Friday, where the 34-year-old featured for an hour before being substituted by coach Hossam Hassan.

"The Egypt national team's technical staff, led by Hossam Hassan, has decided to rest Mohamed Salah for the match against South Sudan scheduled for 29 September because of the playing surface. It was agreed between the national team's technical staff and Mohamed Salah before the Angola match that he would not play against South Sudan, and the technical staff preferred this approach in order to protect the player," the EFA said, via BBC Sport.

Precautionary measure

While there is a widespread perception that artificial turf carries a greater injury risk, studies have found no conclusive evidence to support that claim. Nevertheless, Egypt's technical staff chose to err on the side of caution with one of their most important players.

Salah made the move to Turkish club Trabzonspor this summer after bringing his legendary nine-year spell at Liverpool to a close. During that time, he made 442 appearances for the Merseyside club, scored 257 goals, and collected nine major trophies.

The forward has wasted no time settling into life in Turkey. In six Turkish Super Lig appearances this season, Salah has already registered seven goals and two assists — a return that underlines why Egypt are so keen to keep him fit and available throughout the international window.