Mohamed Salah injury: Egypt star a major doubt for the World Cup

Mohamed Salah’s chances of playing in the World Cup are in doubt after the Liverpool striker suffered a shoulder injury in the Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid.

Liverpool lost the final 3-1 to Real in Kiev and star striker Salah suffered a “serious injury” according to Reds boss Jurgen Klopp. Salah fell after tussling for the ball with Real skipper Sergio Ramos.

Egyptian Salah, who left the field in tears against Real, was taken for an X-ray in Kiev and when asked if he was a doubt for the World Cup Klopp said: “Yeah it is. Unbelievable. There’s something with the shoulder obviously. He’s at the hospital having an X-ray.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

“It’s either the collarbone or the shoulder. It’s a serious injury, a really serious injury.”

The Daily Star and the Daily Express both report that Salah will miss the World Cup. The Express says that the 44-goal striker faces three months out and his “World Cup dream may be over”.

However, the Egyptian Football Association is “optimistic” that Salah will take part in Russia. ESPN reports that Salah is still likely to be named in Egypt’s final squad.

On Twitter the Egyptian FA wrote: “During the telephone follow-up conducted by the national team delegation in Italy to check on the status of Mohamed Salah, Liverpool officials said that X-rays were carried out on Salah’s shoulder and showed that the injury was a shock in the shoulder joints. Dr Abu Ela expressed his optimism that Salah to make the World Cup according to this diagnosis.”

Salah’s goals fired Egypt to their first World Cup since 1990. This summer they will face the hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia in group A.