Egypt's Omar Gaber (Reuters)
Egypt coach Hector Cuper on Monday officially called up ten foreign-based players to join a closed camp in preparation for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Sporting Braga's injured striker Ahmed Hassan Kouka and Basel's midfielder Omar Gaber were the major absentees, according to the Egyptian Football Association.
The Pharaohs will hold a training camp in Cairo from 24 to 28 March and are looking to play a warm-up game ahead of the qualifiers, which begin in June.
Egypt has been drawn alongside Niger, Swaziland, and North African rivals Tunisia, in Group J of the 2019 qualifiers. They will start their campaign against Tunisia from 5 to 13 June.
The seven-time African Champions finished runners-up at the 2017 AFCON in an impressive return to Africa's elite for the first time since 2010.
The ten foreign-based players called up on Monday are as follows:
Mohamed Salah (Roma - Italy), Ahmed Elmohamady (Hull City - England), Mohamed Abdel-Shafi (Ahly Jeddah- KSA), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal - England), Mahmoud Kahraba (Ittihad Jeddah - KSA), Mahmoud "Trezeguet" Hassan (Royal Excel Mouscron - Belgium), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City - England), Karim Hafez (Lens - France), Amr Warda (PAOK- Greece) and Sam Morsi (Wigan - England).
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