Egypt boss Rui Vitoria has conceded that it is too early to tell if Mohamed Salah’s injury will be a ‘big problem’ after he was forced off at the Africa Cup of Nations. The Liverpool forward was replaced on the stroke of half-time in Egypt’s draw with Ghana after going down and receiving treatment on the pitch.
Salah fell to the turf after bursting forward during an Egypt counter and quickly indicated to the bench that he would not be able to continue. Egypt, who needed to avoid defeat to maintain their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, ended up settling for a 2-2 draw in the absence of their star man.
The Pharaohs will face Cape Verde in their final group stage match on Monday evening but it remains to be seen if Salah will be fit to feature. He was seen clutching the back of his left thigh as he trudged off the pitch, with some Ghana fans cheering in the stands as he made his way down the tunnel.
Speaking after the final whistle, Vitoria insisted that Salah’s injury was unlikely to be a ‘dangerous’ one but admitted that he did not know the full extent of the problem.
“I hope not [a big problem],” said Vitoria. “We don’t know yet what the problem is. I hope it’s not a big problem but it was a problem in the first half. It was difficult timing for us because in the second half, we could only make two substitutions. But now, I don’t know. It’s early to see something. I think it’s not dangerous but let’s see if Salah recovers.”
Egypt conceded within a minute of Salah leaving the pitch, with Mohammed Kudus finding the back of the net to give Ghana a half-time lead. The West Ham forward doubled his tally in the second half but goals from Egypt duo Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed ensured the spoils were shared.
Liverpool will be desperately hoping that Salah will not be ruled out for any length of time when he returns to Merseyside after the tournament. The 31-year-old has been instrumental in shaping the Reds’ excellent run of form, which sees them challenging for silverware in four competitions.
Salah has led their attacking charge with a combined total of 27 goals and assists and will be expected to keep firing on all cylinders until the end of the campaign. He has already missed wins over Arsenal and Fulham so far and could miss another five games if Egypt reach the final, which is scheduled for February 10.
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