Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Mohamed Salah is likely to return to Liverpool for treatment on the hamstring injury he suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah could now fly back to Merseyside after sustaining a hamstring injury during Egypt’s 2-2 draw with Ghana at AFCON on Thursday.
It serves as a major update following a previous statement from the Egyptian FA that ruled their captain out of Monday’s final group game against Cape Verde and a potential last-16 tie.
The hope at that point had been that the issue was not serious, and Salah would therefore be available if Egypt reached the quarter-finals.
However, in his post-match press conference after Liverpool’s 4-0 win at Bournemouth, Klopp explained Salah’s expected return to the AXA Training Centre for immediate treatment.
“That’s the plan. If that’s already decided 100 percent, I don’t know. That’s the plan,” he told reporters.
“If he cannot [play], however long he’s out, I think probably everybody sees it makes sense that he does 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.
“[I spoke to him] directly after, pretty much the night when it happened.
“Since then he’s in contact with our doctor and the doc tells me the news. I think he will be back, but we wait.”
The manager did admit, though, that the 31-year-old would be permitted to rejoin Egypt in the even they reach the final.
“I’m not a doctor. I would say, if Egypt qualifies for the final, if he is fit before the final then probably yes,” he said.
“Why not? That’s clear, it’s the tournament.”
The AFCON final will take place on February 11, which suggests that Salah is not expected to be fit until around that stage.
A final assessment will wait until Salah is back in the UK, but he could now still miss the upcoming clashes with Fulham (Jan 24), Norwich (Jan 28), Chelsea (Jan 31) and Arsenal (Feb 4) regardless of Egypt’s progress.
If Egypt are knocked out, the suggestion is that the No. 11 could make his comeback against Brentford on February 10.
