Jurgen Klopp says that the news of Mohamed Salah’s injury during AFCON duty came as a “shock” to those back at Liverpool.
The Egyptian forward is currently away with his country chasing down continental glory at the Africa Cup of Nations. He lasted less than 45 minutes in his latest outing at that event, with the 31-year-old winger limping off in a 2-2 draw with Ghana.
WHAT KLOPP SAID ABOUT SALAH
Egypt boss Rui Vitoria says the problem is not “dangerous”, but Salah is due to undergo medical tests. Klopp has told reporters of learning that a talismanic part of his plans at Anfeld is nursing a knock: “We don’t know anything about Mo. I spoke last night with him and (asked) how it is with his injuries. With these injuries they need further assessment, that’s what they are doing now and we will know more. In that moment (it happened), it was a shock. I couldn’t see it was like he was hit by something high intense and then go down. You can have these hamstring injuries in different ways, be he still felt it. We all know how rarely Mo goes off or needs to go off so it is definitely something, so we will see. There will be ultrasound and MRI and then we will see what Egypt plan. But it’s too early.”
Salah has missed Liverpool’s last two games, and could be absent for five in total. The Reds will not have any of their walking wounded back for a Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Sunday – despite seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold put his knee injury to the test during a visit to the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Milan – with Klopp adding: “Obviously he can walk on the catwalk! He is not ready but all are going in the right direction and getting closer. Some of them might be part of team training next week. I don’t expect anybody back before then. If nobody else is out before, after Bournemouth and maybe for Fulham, we will see how the boys do but they are all close. Trent is close, Dom (Szoboszlai) is close, Robbo (Andy Robertson) is close. All are going in the right direction.”
WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?
Alexander-Arnold could be back for the second leg of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final showdown with Fulham next Wednesday, but the Reds will have to cope without Salah for some time yet as they look to remain in contention for major silverware on four fronts in 2024.
