Africa Cup of Nations

Mohamed Salah ruled out of Egypt's next two matches through injury

By Carter White | 19 January 2024

The Egypt Football Federation confirm that Mohamed Salah will miss his country's next two matches at the Africa Cup of Nations due to a posterior muscle injury.

The Egypt Football Federation have revealed that Mohamed Salah will miss the next two matches through injury.

The Liverpool attacker is currently on international duty representing his country at the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, where Egypt are gunning for the continental crown.

Salah scored a goal and provided an assist in his side's opening group match against Mozambique, however they were forced to share the points in a 2-2 draw.

The forward did not enjoy the second match of the tournament as much, though, with the 31-year-old being forced off the pitch through injury just before the half-time break against Ghana.

Being replaced by Mostafa Fathi, Salah watched his teammates go on to record back-to-back 2-2 scorelines in the competition, leaving their progression in doubt.

Egypt's Trezeguet celebrates scoring their first goal with Mohamed Salah and teammates on January 7, 2024 © Reuters

Following fears that the Liverpool man had suffered damage to his hamstring, the Egypt Football Federation provided an update on the attacker.

"Salah will miss the team's next two matches in the Africa Cup of Nations against Cape Verde, and then the round of 16 match in the event of qualification," said the statement released by the EFF.

It has also been confirmed that Salah has sustained a strain to his posterior muscle - not his hamstring - meaning the timeline for recovery is set to be significantly shorter.

That will be music to the ears of Liverpool fans, who are supporting their side as they continue to fight on four fronts this campaign under Jurgen Klopp.

The Egyptian has netted 14 goals in 20 Premier League matches so far in 2023-24 - a tally only Manchester City's Erling Haaland can match currently.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their fourth goal on January 1, 2024 © Reuters

The Merseysiders are sitting top of the top-flight standings after 20 matches, two points ahead of both Pep Guardiola's Citizens and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

The Reds have also made it into the last 16 of this term's Europa League after topping their group in 2023, whilst also looking forward to an EFL Cup semi-final second-leg against Fulham on Wednesday.

Speaking about Salah's injury ahead of Liverpool's clash with Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, Klopp revealed his initial reaction to seeing the attacker go down with a problem on Thursday.

"In that moment, it was a shock. I couldn't see that it was high intensity and then going down, he just felt it. We all know how rarely Mo (Salah) needs to go off so it was definitely something," said Klopp ahead of this weekend's trip to the Vitality Stadium.