"He [Salah] hasn't played for several weeks. If he feels pain, it will hamper him, it will be another Salah. The forward is an important player for Egypt. Defending is one thing and attacking and scoring is something completely different. The African team needs a victory," Mostovoi said.

Russia, who thrashed Saudi Arabia 5-0 on 14 June, will take on Egypt at the 64,000-seater St. Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday at 9 p.m. local time (02:00- Wednesday AEST).

In their first game at the World Cup, Egypt lost 1-0 to Uruguay. Salah did not play due to an injury he suffered during the Champions League final against Real Madrid in late May. However, he trained with the rest of the squad ahead of the match against hosts Russia on Monday.

"Russia will... be primed for victory... No one needs to be motivated, this is the World Cup, and everyone understands what is at stake. We were lucky to face such a team as Saudi Arabia at the start of the tournament," Mostovoi added.