كتب : Omar Zaazou
The Swiss champs are expected to face Maccabi after the Israeli side cruised to a 2-0 away win over Hungary's Győri ETO in the first leg of the competition's second qualifying round.
With speculation rife in Egypt that Salah and compatriot Elneny could be reluctant to take part in the tie - given the perennial tension between Arabs and Israel, Basel were quick to deny the reports.
The club’s sporting director Georg Heitz was quoted as telling Basel-based Basler Zeitung that ‘it is not true’.
The newspaper suggested though that ‘Salah may yield to public pressure from his country and skip the possible away game at Tel Aviv’.
Old cases
Should Maccabi march through, it won't be the first case that would see foreign-based Egyptians in the critical position of facing an Israeli side.
Former Egypt skipper Ahmed Hassan had to face Hapoel Tel Aviv with Belgium's Anderlecht but refrained from playing the away game in Israel six years ago.
Another player was former Egypt Olympic team manager Hany Ramzy who played with Werder Bremen against Maccabi in the UEFA Cup, with the ex-international player coming in for stinging criticism at that time.
Maccabi take on Gyori in the second leg on Tuesday.