Salah included in Egypt World Cup squad
Neuer in, Sane cut from final Germany squad
Liverpool striker Mohammad Salah was yesterday included in Egypt’s 2018 World Cup squad despite still underdoing treatment for a shoulder injury he suffered in the Champions League final, the Egyptian Football Association said.
Salah, who hit a stunning 44 goals for Liverpool last season in all competitions, was forced out of the final in tears last month clutching his left shoulder after being wrestled to the ground by Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos. Salah has undergone treatment in Valencia, Spain, in the hope of playing a role in Egypt’s first appearance in the World Cup since 1990.
On Wednesday, the federation had said Salah would be out for “not more” than three weeks, meaning he could miss Egypt’s opening World Cup Group A fixture against Uruguay on June 15. Egypt then face Russia on June 19 and Saudi Arabia on June 25.
Meanwhile, Germany have included 2014 World Cup-winning captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in their final squad for the 2018 tournament, even though he has only just returned from a long-term absence through injury.
But in a surprise omission, coach Joachim Loew left Manchester City striker Leroy Sane out of his 23-player list despite a strong season with the Premier League champions.
“Leroy has a huge amount of talent and he will be back in again because from September we will re-double our work with him,” Loew said. “But in his games with the national team he hasn’t quite done the business.”
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Neuer made his first appearance since September in the 2-1 defeat by Austria in a rain-delayed friendly on Saturday and showed no ill-effects.
Key hope
The 32-year-old who is considered key to Germany’s hopes of retaining the title had been sidelined for eight months after fracturing a metatarsal in his left foot last September in a recurrence of the same injury he suffered earlier in 2017.
Sane was cut from the squad with Timo Werner and the veteran Mario Gomez included as just two out-and-out strikers.
Neuer denied his inclusion was a risk, despite his lack of match practice. “I’m not worried. I am no more a risk than any other player,” Neuer said.
The ‘keeper said his careful reintroduction had been a deliberate ploy — he didn’t play a single match for Bayern before joining up with the national squad.
Apart from an appearance in a specially-arranged match against Germany’s Under-20 team last week, the match in Klagenfurt in Austria was his first full appearance since September.