Liverpool are on a collision course with the Egyptian FA over the fitness of Mohamad Salah. The forward picked up a hamstring injury during the AFCON tournament in January and February, returning for the Reds in their 4-1 win at Brentford two weeks ago.
But he hasn’t featured in the four club games since, notably missing the Carabao Cup win over Chelsea at Wembley. And now all eyes will be on Jurgen Klopp’s selection for next Sunday’s potentially pivotal clash at Manchester City, with the 31-year-old expected to return to the squad.
However, there could be a major downside to Salah being involved. Liverpool have already written to the Egyptian FA to request he is not named in their squad for their international friendly with New Zealand on March 22, as they seek to manage his game-time carefully ahead of a congested end to the season.
Their plea has been rejected though, and should they use Salah against the Premier League champions, it will increase the likelihood of him playing for his country. In a released statement, the authority have implied they will have the final word on whether their record scorer is involved.
“We have already received a letter from Liverpool to exempt Mohamed Salah from the upcoming camp due to his injury,” it read. “It is still too early to decide the matter, and if Mohamed Salah plays any match in the time before the start of the camp, we will adhere to his inclusion, and he will be examined and the extent of his readiness determined by the medical staff of the Egyptian national team.”
Without Salah, Egypt still managed to reach the last-16 of the tournament in the Ivory Coast. However, they were knocked out on penalties by DR Congo, having kept him in the squad with a view to using him in the later rounds.
The development is likely to infuriate Klopp, who has frequently cited player welfare amid his concerns over the current domestic and international schedule. His side remain top of the Premier League despite a mini-injury crisis, with the German having been forced to turn to a number of youngsters in recent weeks.
Ahead of his side’s 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which came courtesy of a 99th-minute winner from Darwin Nunez, Klopp strongly hinted Salah would be back to face City. Pressed over his fitness, he replied: “I think next week.
“I think next week at any point it is possible that he could play. I think he’s on the way back definitely, but he’s not there yet.”
