New Delhi:
Mohamed Salah celebrated his 26th birthday in style with Chechen case and the news that he will be involved in Egypt’s next FIFA World Cup match.
A statement from Egyptian soccer association released no further details about his fitness except that the Liverpool star participated in full training on Saturday in Grozny, Egypt football team’s camp in Russia’s Chechnya region.
“(His) condition is so much better,” Egypt executive director Ihab Leheta said on Saturday. “He was very upset after the Uruguay game. He thought he could have played and made a contribution.”
Salah smiled as he sang “Happy Birthday” with his teammates, team officials and hotel staff, but the brief celebration was visibly subdued and not everyone joined in.
“We could have celebrated more,” Leheta said, alluding to the loss to Uruguay.
Fans and Chechnya’s leadership tried to cheer him up, presenting Salah with a giant 100 kilogram birthday cake.
Salah injured his left shoulder in a collision with Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final last month, leaving his World Cup campaign under dark clouds. The 26-year-old forward was an unused substitute in Egypt’s 1-0 loss to Uruguay on Friday.
Egypt now faces host Russia in St. Petersburg on Tuesday and then lock horns with Saudi Arabia on June 25.
