Egypt have left Mohamed Salah out of Tuesday's AFCON 2027 qualifier against South Sudan, citing concerns about the artificial playing surface in Juba.Salah will not travel with Egypt for the Group B clash on 29 September after the national team’s technical staff agreed before Friday's goalless draw with Angola to rest him for the match.##LINKED_NEWS_69201##The 34-year-old started against Angola, but was taken off after an hour, with Egypt confirming that the decision was made specifically to protect him from playing on artificial turf."The technical staff preferred this approach in order to protect the player," the Egyptian Football Association said.There is a widespread perception that artificial surfaces carry a greater injury risk, although studies have not established that players are more likely to suffer injuries on modern artificial pitches.21.45: (3.25) England (3.50) Spain (2.20)Salah's absence will nevertheless be a blow for Egypt, particularly given his electric start to life at Trabzonspor. The former Liverpool forward has scored seven goals and provided two assists in six Turkish Super Lig appearances this season.He left Liverpool at the end of last season after nine years at Anfield, finishing his spell with 257 goals in 442 appearances and nine major trophies. Now Egypt will have to get the job done in Juba without their biggest attacking name, with the decision to protect Salah made before he even boarded the plane.##SOFASCORE_<iframe id="sofa-standings-embed-59835-90940" src="https://widgets.sofascore.com/embed/tournament/59835/season/90940/standings?widgetTitle=Africa+Cup+of+Nations+Qualification+2027%2C+Group+B&showCompetitionLogo=true&widgetTheme=light" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="width:100%!important; height:431px!important;max-width:768px!important;"></iframe><div style="font-size:12px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;text-align:left"> Standings provided by <a target="_blank" href="https://sofascore.com/">Sofascore</a> </div>##