Salah is set to leave the Egypt squad and return to Liverpool for injury rehabilitation. The attacker sustained a hamstring injury during their match against Ghana and had already been ruled out of their upcoming game against Cape Verde. The Egyptian FA initially hoped Salah would be back for a potential quarter-final, but now it seems he may not return until the semi-final on February 7.

The Egyptian Football Association announced that Salah will attend the match against Cape Verde before traveling to the UK for further treatment. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed this plan after their victory against Bournemouth, stating that it makes sense for Salah to undergo rehabilitation with the club’s medical staff.

Klopp did leave open the possibility for Salah to return to the tournament if he recovers in time and Egypt reaches the final. Egypt needs a win against Cape Verde to secure a spot in the last 16. Salah’s injury adds to his unfortunate history at the Africa Cup of Nations, having never won the trophy and finishing as the runner-up twice before. Despite this setback, Salah remains determined to eventually be crowned champion of Africa.