Egypt have allayed serious injury fears over Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah, but their captain’s Africa Cup of Nations could still be over.
Salah was forced off in the first half of Egypt’s 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday after he sustained a muscle injury and it sparked concerns from both an international and club football point of view.
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Salah was sent for scans and the results have shown a strain in his posterior muscle, which is set to rule the forward out of Egypt’s final Group B fixture and a potential last-16 tie for a nation that finished runners-up in the 2021 edition.
| إصابة محمد صلاح بشد في العضلة الخلفية ويغيب مباراتين في أمم أفريقيا
أثبتت الأشعة التي خضع لها محمد صلاح قائد منتخب مصر ، عن إصابته بشد في العضلة الخلفية وسيغيب عن المباراتين المقبلتين للمنتخب في أمم أفريقيا أمام كاب فيردي ، ثم مباراة دور الستة عشر في حالة التأهل . pic.twitter.com/HfIyLNc2US
— EFA.eg (@EFA) January 19, 2024
“The x-rays that Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egyptian national team, underwent, showed that he suffered a strain in the posterior muscle,” an Egyptian Football Association statement read.
“And he will miss the team’s next two matches in the African Nations against Cape Verde, and then the round of 16 match in the event of qualification.”
Egypt are currently second in Group B after two draws with Mozambique and Ghana and will face leaders Cape Verde on January 22 knowing only a victory will guarantee their passage into the knockout stages.
Salah will be restricted to a watching role and it could also be the case for a potential last-16 tie at the end of January, but Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will breath a sigh of relief at the news the injury to his forward is only a strain and nothing more significant.