Ahead of Egypt's World Cup opener against Uruguay on Friday, the Pharaohs' Argentine coach boldly declared that his superstar forward Mohamed Salah was 'almost 100%' set to play in the clash in Yekaterinburg.
Salah's participation in the fixture and, originally, the tournament itself had been touch and go since the Liverpool superstar damaged his shoulder ligaments in the Reds' Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid on May 26.
It's a subplot that eclipsed Egypt's build-up - with Salah playing no part in their pre-tournament friendlies - and threatened to overshadow their tournament itself.
However, Cuper's optimistic outlook in his pre-match press conference appeared to indicate that Egypt could put all Salah concerns behind them.
"I can almost 100 percent say he will play, save for any unforeseen factors at the last minute," the Argentinian coach told journalists.
"I know Salah very well, he's not fearful, we always know we're running a risk when playing a match, that's something we can't hide," he added.
"If he does decide to play he'll have full guarantees on his physical condition and I'm sure he will be fine," the head coach concluded. "If it does turn out there's an issue at the last minute we'll consider it and see if it can be resolved."
Ultimately, Salah wasn't included in the starting XI, in what was, perhaps, an understandable decision by Cuper.
Against a Uruguay side spearheaded by Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, this was the occasion for the Pharaohs to focus on their own defensive assets, to take fewer risks, to ride out the first hour and then to have assessed the state of play towards the game's latter stages.
It was a reasonable approach for Cuper to have frustrated the South Americans, take the draw, and back themselves - with Salah back in the starting XI - to have got the job done against Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Similarly, the Celeste's gnarly central-defensive partnership Jose Gimenez and, particularly, Diego Godin, would have needed little invitation to focus on Salah's weak spot in order to destabilise the Pharaohs' star forward.
This was one occasion in which, from kick off, Cuper, this most conservative coach, was right to resort to the tactics that have - at times - seen him criticised for overt negativity.
However, what the coach perhaps cannot have been counting on was Uruguay's own tentativeness, their lack of cohesion, and the lethargy that characterised Oscar Tabarez's side.
Suarez, enduring a rare off day, was well negotiated by Ahmed Hegazy and missed one fine chance in the first half, while a midfield without Federico Valverde struggled to get the better of Mohamed Elneny and, before his injury, the imperious Tarek Hamed.
Such was Uruguay's lack of impetus, that it was the marauding Godin - nominally a centre-back - who appeared to be their most adventurous and proactive player at times, as he sauntered his way upfield with ball at feet.
While Mohamed El Shenawy was forced into one magnificent late save from Edinson Cavani, there was a sense, that with 25 minutes on the clock, the game was there for the taking.
Marwan Mohsen, Ahmed Fathy and Trezeguet had all had shots on target as Egypt - albeit unconvincingly - tested Fernando Muslera in the Uruguay goal, and it wouldn't have taken a major uplift for the Pharaohs to have begun to assert themselves more convincingly on their opponents.
Cuper had one such potential game-changer sitting alongside him in the dugout, although for whatever reason - perhaps his pre-match talk of Salah's fitness had been inflated, maybe his conservatism overwhelmed him - the 62-year-old opted not to take a gamble and exploit Uruguay's vulnerability.
Instead, he threw on Kahraba as his second sub in the 62nd minute - the forward made minimal impact - before turning to Ramadan Sobhi with eight minutes to play as his last change.
It would be overstating to suggest that that last change propelled Uruguay to victory, but it notably deflated the Pharaohs while serving to boost their opponents, whose tempo had dipped after El Shenawy's fine block on Cavani.
There would be no Salah, marking his 26th birthday, after all.
The shadow that his presence casts was evident among the stands, whenever his face came on the big screen, and in both camps, with Cavani, after the match, revealing how he made a be-line for the forward's shirt.
"I took Salah's shirt as a gift for my children," he told journalists after the match [as per Sports Illustrated], "who also see him as a star."
The positive, for Egypt, who now have no margin for error after losing their opener, is that Salah will be even closer to full fitness by the time Tuesday's game against hosts Russia rolls around.
Will Cuper, however, regret not affording the birthday boy a brief cameo in order to lift his own troops and spread concern in Uruguayan hearts towards the conclusion of Friday's clash?
It was the kind of decision upon which games can be settled and tournaments can be shaped.
Egypt still have their destiny in their own hands, but after swatting away Saudi Arabia 5-0 in their opener - and boosting their goal difference in the process - Russia are suddenly looking a much more ominous prospect than the pre-tournament forecasts suggesting.
Cuper's conservatism can still be key in getting Egypt to the Last 16, but if Salah is as fit as he states, then it's no longer time for the Pharaohs to handle their star man with kid gloves.
He must be unleashed for the challenges to come, starting with Saint Petersburg on Tuesday.