Egypt are hopeful that Mohamed Salah will be fit for the World Cup despite suffering a shoulder injury that forced him to be substituted during Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Uefa Champions League final on Saturday.
Salah, who scored 44 goals in all competitions for Liverpool this season, left the field in tears in the 31st minute after falling heavily under a challenge by Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.
The Egyptian tried to continue after receiving treatment on the pitch but was forced to leave the game. However, Egypt's FA said on Twitter that Salah had sprained shoulder ligaments and they were optimistic he would be fit for the World Cup.
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Egypt's Youth and Sports Minister Khaled Abd El-aziz said on his Facebook page: "It is expected Salah will need 2 weeks for treatment. He will stay in Liverpool and will have there the rehab period then will join the Egyptian team camp in Italy."
A subsequent tweet from the Egypt national team account suggested Salah had suffered ligament damage but avoided either a dislocation or a broken collar bone.
It read: "Update: Dr. Mohamed Abou El-Ela, the doctor of the team, said that the Liverpool medical team had informed him after the X-ray on the shoulder of Salah that the result was that the player was injured in the ligaments of the shoulder joint, and added that according to this diagnosis he is optimistic Salah will be part of the national team in the World Cup."
He added that Salah would be in Egypt's final World Cup squad which will be announced on June 4.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp earlier told a post-match news conference: "It’s a serious injury, a really serious injury. He is in the hospital for an X-ray. It’s either the collarbone or the shoulder itself. It doesn’t look good, that’s it.
Get well soon @MoSalah 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/qUiuWwlXU9
— Egypt National Football Team (@Pharaohs) May 26, 2018
"We lost a very important player, like probably Egypt lost for the World Cup a very important player. I still hope it’s not like this," he said.
Salah's performances this term, following his move from Roma, have made him Liverpool's top performer and a national hero. Egypt will be at the World Cup for the first time since 1990 and face hosts Russia, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group A.
Klopp added the injury to Salah had sent his team into shock after they had made a strong start against Zinedine Zidane's side and added that it had handed the momentum to Madrid.
"It is unbelievable," he said. "He would have played on if anything was possible. I didn't see him, maybe he's in the hospital at the moment for an X-ray. It doesn't look good."
Klopp acknowledged he was not happy with Ramos over the incident.
"For me that was kind of a harsh challenge because the arm is there and it was like wrestling a little bit," he said.
"It was unlucky that Mo fell on his shoulder. It is a really serious injury.
"The shock of the boys was obvious, we dropped a little bit too deep. Real tried to use that positive momentum until we settled a little bit."
