The Socceroos are preparing to face Mo Salah in a crucial last-32 match, with uncertainty surrounding whether the Egyptian star will start or come off the bench. Salah was seen training with his teammates on Thursday, and Egypt coach Hossam Hassan confirmed that his “passionate” forward is fit to play.

Hassan expressed optimism about Salah's participation, stating, “We look forward to him playing tomorrow, though we are not sure whether he is going to be in the starting lineup.” He emphasized that Salah is eager to contribute to the team's efforts.

When asked about the challenge posed by the tall and physical Australian side, led by 1.98-metre defender Harry Souttar, Hassan remained confident. He remarked, “Maradona wasn’t the tallest of players, Messi isn’t that tall either. It’s not about being tall or short; we have physical players … We’re ready to go.”

Egypt enters this match after securing second place in Group G behind Belgium, who defeated Senegal to advance. Salah had requested to be substituted in Egypt’s final group match against Iran due to a hamstring strain but has since made a swift recovery, moving freely during training. He scored once and assisted two goals in the group stage, bringing his international tally to 68 goals, just one behind his coach as Egypt’s all-time leading scorer.

The Egyptian team received a warm welcome in Texas, with thousands of fans greeting them upon arrival. Hassan shared his excitement, saying, “You can’t imagine how delighted we were when the fans received us.”

On the other hand, the Socceroos will be without winger Mat Leckie and fullback Jacob Italiano. Coach Tony Popovic faces a decision on whether to field left-footed Jordy Bos at right back again following his solid performance against Paraguay. The winner of this Dallas showdown will advance to face the victor of the Argentina versus Cape Verde match in Miami.