Mohamed Salah Starts on Bench for Egypt vs. Uruguay in World Cup

Mohamed Salah will start Egypt's 2018 FIFA World Cup clash with Uruguay on the bench on Friday.

Pharaohs manager Hector Cuper named his starting lineup ahead of the match, with Salah not present in the side:

The forward has been recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in the UEFA Champions League final last month after being brought down by Real Madrid and Spain defender Sergio Ramos.

Salah played no part in Egypt's warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup, as a result, and after a domestic season in which he racked up 44 goals for Liverpool in all competitions, it's a blow not to have him start in what should be their hardest group match.

There's a good chance he'll feature at some point, though. At a news conference on Thursday, Cuper said he was "almost 100 per cent" sure Salah would get on the pitch, "save for any unforeseen factors at the last minute."

He added:

"We're trying to make him feel confident. The doctors are giving him the options to play or not. I know Salah very well. He's not fearful. We always know we're running a risk when playing a match. That's something we can't hide.

"But if he does decide to play, he'll have full guarantees on his physical condition, and I'm sure he will be fine. And if it does turn out there's an issue at the last minute, we'll consider it and see if it can be resolved."

While Salah is Egypt's best player and will be missed, it may not be a disaster for him to start on the bench. He could give the side a healthy boost if he comes on as a substitute, particularly if it's still close between the two sides when he enters the pitch.

What's more, Cuper's caution could help preserve him for the Pharaohs' final two group matches against Russia and Saudi Arabia, which are eminently more winnable.

Victory in both of those matches should be enough to see Egypt through to the knockout phase, and Salah can have a significant part to play in that.