Liverpool FC have received a massive injury scare as forward Mohamed Salah limped off the field during Egypt's draw against Ghana.
The extent of Salah's injury is unknown as the Egyptian King went down in the 45th minute with a supposed hamstring issue in his country's 2-2 draw in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Thursday.
Mo Salah's injury on international duty
Salah was replaced by Mostafa Fathi, with the captain's armband going to defender Ahmed Hegazi. The Liverpool No. 11 looked visibly upset and was consoled by his team-mates as he left the pitch.
Mohamed Salah off for Egypt with an injury… pic.twitter.com/Yi6N3BpcSk
— Floris (@RedLad92) January 18, 2024
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp would hope Salah's situation isn't serious, and he would have been relieved when Egypt head coach Rui Vitoria said the forward's injury didn't look "dangerous".
"We don't know yet what the problem is. I hope it's not a big problem. It was difficult timing for us because in the second half, we could only make two substitutions. I think it's not dangerous but let's see," Vitoria said of Salah, who scored the equaliser in Egypt's 2-2 draw against Mozambique on Sunday.
When reporters asked Vitoria about the severity of Salah's injury, the Egypt boss replied: "Now I don't know because it's [too] early to see something. I think it's not dangerous, but let's see if Salah recovers."
Shortly after Salah was substituted, Ghana took the lead, thanks to Mohamed Kudus' strike just before the half-time break. A few minutes into the second half, Egypt responded well and levelled when Omar Marmoush fired home, before Kudus put Ghana back in front. However, Egypt equalised for a second time when Mostafa Mohamed scored just three minutes later.
Rui Vitoria on Salah:
— Anything Liverpool (@AnythingLFC_) January 18, 2024
🗣️ “We don’t know yet what the problem is. I hope it’s not a big problem. It was difficult timing for us because in the second half we could only make two substitutions. I think it’s not dangerous but let’s see.” 🤞 pic.twitter.com/6E1paWQbyJ
Egypt earned a crucial point following the 2-2 draw and were still hopeful of progressing to AFCON's Round of 16. Salah and Co currently sit second in the Group B table after picking up two points from their opening two matches. Cape Verde and Mozambique, their other group members, are set to face off against each other on Friday.
When the Egypt boss was asked about his team's performance against Ghana, he said: "We delivered a strong performance against Ghana, especially in the second half. We played to win, and I am incredibly proud of my players' performance and their fighting spirit.
"The team's performance has been improving from game to game, and we played well against a tough opponent like Ghana."
Vitoria's Egypt will take on Cape Verde in their final Group B match as they look to secure progression to the knockout round, but it remains to be seen whether Salah will be fit to feature.
Liverpool will hope Salah's situation not serious
Liverpool will be closely monitoring the situation around Salah, who has already missed their victories over Arsenal and Fulham so far. He could miss more games depending on how far Egypt advance in the tournament.
The Round-of-16 fixtures will be played on either Jan. 28 or 29, while the AFCON quarter-finals will be played on Feb. 2 and 3, with the semi-finals on Feb. 7. The final is scheduled for Feb. 11 and will be held at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe.
If Salah's Egypt make it to the AFCON final, that would rule the Liverpool forward out for up to eight games for the Anfield side.
Before going into the winter break earlier this month, Liverpool picked up two back-to-back wins, which saw them progress ahead in the FA Cup and the League Cup. The Reds overcame Arsenal 2-0 at Emirates Stadium to reach the FA Cup fourth round, while they defeated Fulham 2-1 in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final.
Liverpool would hope Salah's injury isn't serious as the Egyptian forward has been in great form in the 2023-24 season. He has scored 18 goals and provided nine assists in 27 appearances in all competitions for the Anfield side. Out of which, 14 goals have come in the Premier League as Liverpool are two points clear at the top of the table.
