Town skipper Sam Morsy has been left out of Egypt’s final squad for their friendlies against Niger and Liberia during the international week.
The Blues have had two players called up, Wes Burns by Wales and Greg Leigh by Jamaica, and a third would have allowed the club to have postponed next Sunday’s live-on-Sky game at Plymouth.
Speaking at yesterday’s post-match press conference following the 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday, manager Kieran McKenna said the club were yet to hear from Egypt regarding Morsy, who had been named in a provisional squad.
"I haven’t heard anything [from Egypt], so we can only assume that he’ll be with us next week and we look forward to the game,” he said.
Now the Egyptian FA has confirmed the party for the two matches with Morsy omitted.
The midfielder has won seven Egypt caps with his last appearance as a sub against Eswatini in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in November 2018. Egypt face Niger on September 23rd and Liberia four days later.
Egypt squad: Mohamed El-Shennawi (Ahly), Ahmed El-Shennawi (Pyramids), Mohamed Sobhi (Zamalek), Karim Fouad, Mohamed Abdel-Moneim (Ahly), Omar Gaber, Ali Gabr, Osama Galal, Mohamed Hamdi (Pyramids), Mahmoud El-Wensh, Ahmed Fattouh (Zamalek), Hamdi Fathi, Ayman Ashraf (Ahly), Tarek Hamed (Ittihad, Saudi Arabia), Mahmoud Hamada (Pharco), Eslam Eissa (Pyramids), Ahmed Zizo, Emam Ashour (Zamalek), Mohamed Ibrahim (Ceramica Cleopatra), Abdel-Rahman Magdi (Ismaily), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Omar Marmoush (Wolfsburg, Germany), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ahmed Kouka (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Marwan Hamdi (Masry), Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes, France).