Egypt coach Hector Cuper is ready to gamble on Mohamed Salah and is hoping the striker comes through a final fitness test on the eve of the country’s World Cup match against hosts Russia.
A shoulder injury kept Salah out of Egypt’s opening game against Group A favourites Uruguay, in which the team from North Africa were beaten 1-0.
Russian made a dream start, beating Saudi Arabia 5-0 to rise to the top of the group above Uruguay on goal difference and Egypt must at least draw with the host nation in St Petersburg on Tuesday to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
Possible line-ups:
Russia: Igor Akinfeev; Mario Fernandes, Ilya Kutepov, Sergei Ignashevich, Yuri Zhirkov; Roman Zobnin, Yury Gazinsky, Daler Kuziaev; Aleksandr Golovin, Denis Cheryshev; Fedor Smolov
Egypt: Mohammed El Shenawy, Ali Gabr, Ahmed Hegazy, Ahmed Fathi, Mohammed Abdelshafy; Tarek Hamed, Mohammed El Neny, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Abdullah Al Said; Mohammed Salah, Marwan Mohsenv