Blues skipper Sam Morsy has been named on a preliminary list of overseas players ahead of Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi later this month.
The Pharaohs face the Malawians at Cairo International Stadium on March 24th, then away at the Lilongwe Bingu National Stadium four days later.
Morsy, 31, made his international debut in August 2016 and has won seven Egypt caps with his last appearance as a sub against Eswatini in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in November 2018.
The Town captain has previously been named on similar provisional lists ahead of internationals since joining the Blues but without making the final squad.
Speaking about those previous calls last month, Morsy said: "They’ve changed manager on a number of occasions but experience teaches you to keep your head down and keep working hard.
"If the manager [currently Rui Vitoria] feels I can contribute and do a job, yes, I’d love to be available. But it’s not something I’m fully emotionally attached to.
"I just focus on what I can control, making sure I’m fit, that I play well, keep working, keep improving, and that’s what I will continue to do. If I get a call-up, then that’s going to be amazing, but if not, I’ll keep going.
"The fact I’m on the preliminary lists shows there is still some interest there, which is nice, but hopefully at some stage I’ll get called up and look to show the manager what I can do.”
If he does make the cut for the final party this time around, Morsy could be one of four senior Town players called up ahead of the international break with Wes Burns and Nathan Broadhead likely to be included by Wales and Greg Leigh expected to be named in Jamaica’s squad.
If three of those players are called up, then Town will be entitled to postpone the game at Barnsley on Saturday 25th March, something they would appear certain to do given the importance of those players.
Egypt foreign-based players preliminary list: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ahmed Hegazy (Ittihad Jeddah), Tarek Hamed (Ittihad Jeddah), Ahmed 'Kouka' Hassan (Alanyaspor), Sam Morsy (Ipswich Town), Ahmed Hamdy (Montreal), Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes), Omar Marmoush (Wolfsburg), Emam Ashour (FC Midtjylland).