Egypt reject Liverpool's request to rest Mohamed Salah amid injury rehab

Egypt have called Mohamed Salah up for a tournament during the March international break, despite a request from Liverpool to rest the forward.

Salah was absent for Liverpool's 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest on the weekend due to a recurring hamstring injury he first picked up on duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The winger did make an initial return to action for the Reds, scoring and assisting as a substitute in last month's 4-1 win over Brentford.

However, after suffering a recurrence of the muscle issue, Salah has sat out Liverpool's last four outings - including their Carabao Cup final triumph last weekend.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed that the 31-year-old would be able to return to full training next week, putting him in contention for Sunday's mammoth title clash with Manchester City.

But with an eye for the long-term in Liverpool's hunt for the quadruple, the club made a request to the Egyptian national setup to rest Salah during the upcoming international break.

The Pharaohs have rejected their plea, insisting that they will decide on whether to call Salah up based on the fitness of their captain.

"We have already received a letter from Liverpool to exempt Mohamed Salah from the upcoming camp due to his injury," a statement from the Egyptian FA read.

"We sent the name of Mohamed Salah among the professional players that we are requesting to include in the next camp a few days ago.

"It is our right to include any professional player as long as it is at the time of the international agenda, and the issue of whether or not to include him is in the hands of the national team's technical staff, led by Hossam Hassan.

"It is still too early to decide the matter, and if Mohamed Salah plays any match in the time before the start of the camp, we will adhere to his inclusion, and he will be examined and his readiness determined by the medical staff of the Egyptian national team."

Egypt are gearing up to participate in a friendly tournament in the UAE between March 22 and 26, which will also feature Tunisia, Croatia, and New Zealand.

If Salah is selected to travel to the Middle East, Liverpool will be hopeful that he comes home unscathed ahead of their contest against Brighton on March 31.