The agent of Mohamed Salah has confirmed that the Liverpool forward could be out for up to a month after injuring himself on international duty.
Salah returned to Merseyside this week to undergo rehabilitation after suffering a suspected hamstring injury while playing for his country.
The Liverpool No.11 was substituted before half-time of Egypt’s 2-2 draw with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations, leaving Reds supporters fearing the worst.
While Salah’s injury was initially downplayed, with the 31-year-old only expected to miss two matches, his agent Ramy Abbas Issa has now confirmed that he could miss three or four weeks of action.
Taking to X, Issa stated: “Mohammed’s injury is more serious than first thought and he will be out for 21-28 days, and not 2 games.
“His best chance at participating in the current AFCON is by undergoing intensive rehabilitation in the UK and re-joining the team as soon as he is fit.”
In the worst-case scenario, Salah could miss approximately a month of football, which would mean he’s absent for the rest of AFCON.
If that timeframe is correct, he would also miss around six games for the Reds, including clashes with Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League.
That would serve as a huge blow to Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool team, Salah still far and away the club’s top scorer this season with 18 goals in all competitions.
Egypt icon Ahmed Hassan had criticised Salah recently, suggesting that the Pharaohs captain should play through the pain for his country at AFCON.
Hassan stated (via the Mirror): “I’ve always backed Salah and I was very happy with his presence as captain of the Egyptian national team.
“Do the AFCON regulations allow a player to leave the national team’s camp and come back again? He had the possibility of bringing in someone from Liverpool’s medical staff to be with him during the competition.
“Again, he is the captain. He should stay with the team no matter what, even if he only had one leg to stand on.”
Hassan’s comments may have been the reason for Salah’s agent speaking up about the fatality of his injury, with the winger unlikely to feature again for his country at this year’s tournament.
If Salah is sidelined for a significant period, it could seriously jeopardize Liverpool’s chances of winning the Premier League this season.
