Egypt’s star player Mohamed Salah is fit to play his country’s opener at the FIFA World Cup, announced coach Hector Cuper on Thursday.
He has recovered from his shoulder injury and barring a last-minute hitch he will play against Uruguay on Friday, coach Hector Cuper said.
Salah, who sustained the injury in Liverpool's Champions League final loss to Real Madrid on May 26, is crucial to Egypt's hopes of making it out of Group A also featuring hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia.
The striker's return after weeks of uncertainty is a massive boost for Egypt and for the tournament in Russia because it means one of the hottest players on the planet at the moment will be in action.
"We still have to see how training goes today, but I can almost assure you 100 percent that he'll play, we are all very optimistic that he will be on the pitch," Cuper said on Thursday, shortly before leading out his squad at Yekaterinburg Arena -- with Salah among them.
The 62-year-old Argentine Cuper added: "Salah is very good and he's recovered very quickly."
Salah, who turns 26 on Friday, gave 100 million frantic Egyptians a huge lift on Wednesday when he joined a squad training session at their Grozny base.
