Preview: Egypt host Russia in World Cup warm-up with Salah's participation uncertain

  Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed 

The match is the second-to-last warm-up fixture for coach Hossam Hassan's side before the tournament begins, with a further friendly against Brazil pencilled in for 6 June in the United States.

Egypt are drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, Iran and New Zealand, opening their campaign against Belgium on 15 June.

The main uncertainty ahead of Thursday is captain Mohamed Salah, who is expected to join the team trainings on Wednesday but whose participation against Russia has not been confirmed.

The rest of the overseas contingent has been filtering into camp through the week. Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, who recently won the FA Cup with his club, and Barcelona youth striker Hamza Abdelkarim joined training on Tuesday. Real Oviedo winger Haissem Hassan had already arrived earlier in the week.

Coach Hossam Hassan will be without midfielder Hamdy Fathy, who is suspended after collecting a red card during Egypt's goalless draw against Spain in March.

The squad includes several first-time call-ups - among them Pyramids FC midfielder Mostafa Ziko, Enppi forward Aqtay Abdallah, and Abdelkarim himself - with each player aware that the final 26-man World Cup roster will be confirmed after Thursday's match.

Russia arrive having remained suspended from official competition by both FIFA and UEFA since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, though they have continued to play friendlies in the intervening period, some of which have received FIFA recognition. The fixture gives Egypt a structured opponent for their preparations without the context of competitive football surrounding it.

Winger Mahmoud Trezeguet, one of three players in the current squad who were present at that 2018 tournament alongside Salah and goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, has spoken plainly about Egypt's aims this time around. "Our objective is to get through the group stage first and then go as far as possible," he told FIFA this week.

Thursday's match offers Hossam Hassan the chance to assess his options before the squad departs for Ohio on 30 May. With the World Cup a little over two weeks away, the result matters less than what the coach takes from it.