Egypt football team coach Rui Vitoria confirmed on Monday after qualifying for the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) that star striker Mohamed’s leg injury Salah would lead to a longer recovery than expected.
“Mohamed Salah is injured, we learned before the match that it was a longer-term injury than we initially thought. We must postpone the moment when he can play again,” declared the coach, after the draw (2-2) between Egypt and Cape Verde.
The Egyptian federation announced on Sunday that the player would have to return to Liverpool to treat his left leg hamstring injury caused during the match against Ghana (2-2) on Thursday, while expressing the hope that he could recover his teammates for the CAN semi-final in the event of qualification. However, a source within the Egyptian team estimated that his recovery could take between 10 and 14 days.
Previously, the player’s agent had also expressed doubts. “Mohamed’s injury is more serious than we initially thought and he will be out for 21-28 days, and not just two matches,” Ramy Abbas said in a message posted on X. “His best chance to participate at the current CAN is to undergo an intensive recovery program in the United Kingdom and rejoin the team as soon as he is fit,” he added.