Mohamed Salah could have played for Liverpool FC for the last time on Saturday. After his injury-related substitution against Crystal Palace, concerns are high.
Arne Slot deliberately didn’t want to make headlines on Saturday, but he couldn’t prevent them. Mohamed Salah had to be substituted due to injury in the 3-1 home win against Crystal Palace, which inevitably raised one question: Will Salah never play for Liverpool FC again?
The 33-year-old attacker, who did not contribute to the 2-0 lead at the break, is believed to have suffered a thigh ligament injury, which forced him to be substituted in the 59th minute. The Reds only have four competitive games left this season, all in the Premier League, after which Salah will leave the club a year before his contract expires.
Salah’s physical stability is a cause for concern – and hope
Will he return before then? “We don’t know, that’s the best answer I can give,” explained coach Slot at his press conference afterwards. “Because if I say there’s a risk, then all the headlines will probably say: ‘There’s a risk…’ We just don’t know, but what we do know is that the season is over in four weeks. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with his injury and whether he can play again.”
Salah is regarded as one of the fittest players in recent Premier League years – which is now both a cause for concern and hope. Concern because “we all know how difficult it is for Mo to leave the pitch”, Slot said on the BBC’s Match of the Day program. “The fact that Mo is leaving the pitch says a lot.” Hope, because “he has looked after his body so well all these years that he will only need the minimum time necessary to recover from an injury”.
Salah has 193 goals and 93 assists in 326 Premier League appearances and is the reigning top scorer, but has lost influence this season, collecting “only” 13 scoring points (7/6) in 25 appearances. In sporting terms, his loss would be bearable in the bid to secure Champions League qualification, but not emotionally: the club, fans and Salah want to say goodbye in style. On Saturday, the Egyptian applauded in all directions when he was substituted at Anfield – and that’s not the end of it.