Mohamed Salah is continuing his recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations. Salah was forced off in Egypt’s match with Ghana on January 18 and returned to Liverpool for treatment on the problem.
It had been agreed that he would return for the latter stages of the tournament but Egypt were knocked out in the last 16 against DR Congo. He remains a couple of weeks from returning to action, with boss Jürgen Klopp issuing an update before Wednesday night’s win over Chelsea at Anfield.
“He is not ready for this game, not ready for the next game [against Arsenal] and then not,” Klopp said, indicating that Salah will also miss Liverpool’s visit of Burnley on February 10. “He’s injured and a muscle injury takes time. It could have been much worse, but he’s not available at the moment. He’s just doing his rehab,” Klopp added.
But Salah teased fans that he is on his way back by posting a video on Instagram from Liverpool’s AXA Training Ground with the caption “recovery work continues.” And he followed that up with a second clip on Thursday, showing him completing a series of running drills.
“While Salah was not running at full speed, he appears to complete the runs without any issues and will now be working towards a return to full training. Liverpool fans are keen to see the club’s top scorer back in action as the club chases victories on four fronts. But boss Klopp is not rushing Salah’s return.
Liverpool thrashed Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday to extend its lead at the top of the Premier League to five points and it has won all but one of their matches since Salah’s exit. Diogo Jota, who has shone from the right in Salah’s absence, added to his goal tally with Conor Bradley, Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis Díaz all on target.
Next up for the Reds is a trip to face Arsenal at the Emirates, having already won there in the FA Cup this season. The clash could prove decisive in the title race with victory taking Liverpool eight points clear of its opponents.
Liverpool.com says: Salah remains Liverpool’s talisman but remarkably, he has not been missed since heading to the Africa Cup of Nations. There is certainly no need to rush him back and Liverpool must be cautious to ensure his hamstring is fully recovered. The Carabao Cup final is now just over three weeks away and that will probably be the target for the Egyptian star.
