Mohamed Salah could miss the remainder of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Brentford on Feb. 17 after the Egypt forward’s agent said he faces “21–28 days” out of action with a hamstring injury.
Salah, 31, is due to return to Liverpool this week to undergo intensive treatment on the injury he sustained against Ghana in an effort to boost his hopes of being fit for the semifinal stage of the AFCON should Egypt progress to the final four.
But Ramy Abbas Issa, Salah’s long-standing representative, posted on X on Monday that the Liverpool star faces a race against time to regain full fitness in order to play again for Egypt at the tournament in Ivory Coast.
“Mohammed’s injury is more serious than first thought and he will be out for 21–28 days, not 2 games,” Issa said in a post. “His best chance at participating in the current AFCON is by undergoing intensive rehabilitation in the UK and rejoining the team as soon as he is fit.”
Liverpool sources informed ESPN that their projected timeline for Mohamed Salah’s rehabilitation aligns with the statement made by his agent, Ramy Abbas Issa.
The Egyptian forward is facing a significant recovery period after sustaining a hamstring injury, as Issa indicated “21–28 days” of potential absence from action.
Egypt concluded the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday with a thrilling 2-2 draw against the Cape Verde Islands, securing Salah’s team a place in the round of 16.
Since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in a £34.3 million transfer in 2017, Salah has remarkably missed only two games due to injury.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Sunday that Salah will be returning to the club for treatment. However, considering the AFCON Final is scheduled for February 11, the specified recovery time of 21–28 days would rule him out for the remainder of the tournament.
Additionally, this puts into question his availability for Liverpool’s crucial Premier League match, six days later, as they currently lead the standings.