Egypt’s preparations for their 2026 FIFA World Cup round-of-32 encounter with Australia have been overshadowed by a growing injury crisis, leaving head coach Hossam Hassan with major selection concerns ahead of Friday evening’s knockout fixture.
The Pharaohs secured their place in the last 32 after completing the group stage, but their 1-1 draw with Iran came at a significant cost. Several key players either suffered injuries or picked up suspensions, raising fresh questions over Egypt’s squad depth before one of the most important matches of the tournament.
With concerns mounting across the defence and midfield, the coaching staff are now awaiting medical assessments that could determine the availability of several first-team players.
Salah and Abdel Moneim Forced Off Against Iran
Egypt endured a difficult afternoon against Iran despite earning the point needed to complete their group campaign.
Defender Mohamed Abdel Moneim was forced to leave the field during the first half after sustaining an injury. Head coach Hossam Hassan responded by introducing Yasser Ibrahim as his replacement.
The problems continued after the interval when team captain Mohamed Salah also had to be substituted following an injury. Ahmed Sayed Zizo replaced the forward as Egypt attempted to see out the match.
Another setback arrived late in the game when left-back Ahmed Fatouh suffered a muscle injury approximately 10 minutes before the end of normal time.
Having already used all of their available substitutions, Egypt were left with no option but to finish the match with 10 players.
Suspension Adds to Egypt’s Problems
In addition to the injury concerns, Egypt will also be without midfielder Mohannad Lasheen for the Australia match.
Lasheen received his second yellow card of the group stage during the draw against Iran, triggering an automatic suspension for the knockout fixture.
His absence further complicates Hossam Hassan’s preparations, reducing the options available in midfield for a match that will determine whether Egypt progress to the last 16.
Defensive Options Becoming Increasingly Limited
The most pressing concern for Egypt appears to be in central defence, where injuries have severely reduced the available options.
Hamdi Fathi had already been ruled out after suffering a muscle injury during Egypt’s match against New Zealand earlier in the group stage.
Hossam Abdel-Maguid also remains unavailable after sustaining a facial injury during the same fixture. He is currently following a head injury treatment protocol, which kept him out of the Iran match.
The injury to Mohamed Abdel Moneim has now deepened the crisis.
If Abdel Moneim, Hamdi Fathi and Hossam Abdel-Maguid are all unavailable against Australia, Hossam Hassan will have only Yasser Ibrahim and Rami Rabia available as recognised central defenders.
That scenario would leave Egypt without a specialist centre-back on the substitutes’ bench for the knockout tie.
Medical Assessments Awaited
The extent of the injuries suffered by Mohamed Salah and Ahmed Fatouh is expected to become clearer in the coming hours once both players undergo medical examinations.
Those assessments will determine whether either player is fit enough to feature against Australia.
Should Fatouh be ruled out, Karim Hafez is available as a natural replacement at left-back.
In midfield, Nabil Dunga appears the leading candidate to take the place of the suspended Mohannad Lasheen.
If Salah is also unable to recover in time, Hossam Hassan is expected to choose between Ahmed Sayed Zizo and Haitham Hassan to fill the attacking role left vacant by the former Liverpool forward.
With the knockout stage now under way, Egypt’s hopes of extending their World Cup campaign may depend not only on their performance against Australia, but also on how successfully they can cope with an increasingly stretched squad.
