Egypt is hoping Mohamed Salah can return for a potential semifinal match, but he will be returning to Liverpool for treatment on the leg injury he sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations.
In Thursday’s Group B match between Egypt and Ghana, Salah sustained an injury.
“It makes sense that he’s doing the rehab with us,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on Sunday, before Egypt confirmed the forward’s return.
Egypt will advance to the knockout stages if they defeat Cape Verde on Monday.
The Egyptian football federation had originally stated on Friday that forward Salah of Liverpool would only play in the competition once more if his country advanced to a quarterfinal on February 2 or 3.
If his team advances, would the 31-year-old return to the Afcon? Klopp responded, “I would say if Egypt qualifies for the final, if he’s fit before the final, then probably yes.” Given that Salah had only missed 10 league games for the Reds in more than six seasons, Klopp had speculated on Friday that the forward’s hamstring injury was probably serious.
“He was shocked and couldn’t see why he was hit by something so intense,” said the German.
“You have these hamstring injuries in a different way. He felt it, and we know how rarely Mo goes off or needs to go off, so it is definitely something.”
Egypt won the last of their seven Cup of Nations tournaments in 2010, the year before Mohamed Salah made his debut for his country. They also placed second in the 2017 and 2021 competitions.
Last Sunday, he struck a late penalty to help Egypt avoid an embarrassing opening-round loss by drawing 2-2 with Mozambique.
Salah is certain that he will win the AFCON “sooner or later.”
“I would love to win it, absolutely,” he replied. “I think that it will happen in some way. Whatever I set my mind to, I eventually accomplish; therefore, it will happen eventually.
“I have won everything possible, but this one, not yet. Everybody knows what it means for any player to win an Africa Cup.
“The players are very motivated to win the tournament. I believe that, with hard work, everything is possible, so we just need to win one game to qualify, and we go from there.”