Salah returns to Liverpool following injury at AFCON

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Mo Salah is returning to Liverpool for therapy after suffering an injury during the Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool confirmed this in a statement on the club’s official website on Sunday.

Salah suffered an injury and was replaced in the first half of Egypt’s 2-2 draw against Ghana on Thursday.

The 31-year-old player suffered a hamstring injury and has since been scanned.

“The Egyptian FA announces that Salah will now travel to England to receive treatment with the hope that he will join the Egyptian national team if it qualifies for the semi-finals,” manager Jürgen Klopp said in the statement.

Salah will miss Egypt’s game against Cape Verde and their following two knockout matches if they make it out of their group.

The final is not until February 11.

Liverpool drew their opening two games of AFCON and needed a win on Monday to seal their place in the last 16.

Liverpool boss, Klopp, had already confirmed Salah’s return to the club before Egypt’s statement.

Speaking on whether Salah could still head back to the tournament, Klopp said, “If he is fit before the final then probably yes. That’s the plan. If that’s already decided 100 percent, I don’t know. But that’s the plan.

“However long he is out, I think probably everybody sees that it makes sense that he is doing the rehab with us or with our people. That’s the plan, but if that’s now written in stone already, I don’t know.”

Speaking further, he said, “I spoke with him directly after the game, pretty much the night it happened. Since then, he’s been in contact with our doctor. The doc tells me the news, so I think he will be back.”

On whether Salah could feature again for Egypt during AFCON, the manager said, “I’m not a doctor. I would say if Egypt qualifies for the final and he is fit before the final then probably yes. Why not?

“That’s clear, it’s the tournament. Ivory Coast, I am sure it is a wonderful country, but we have no people from us there and their people have to take care of the players who are playing, so let’s see.”