Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah has opened up for the first time since sustaining a hamstring injury at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
On Sunday, the Egyptian Football Association confirmed that Salah has returned to his club, Liverpool, to continue his recovery.
The injury occurred during Egypt's AFCON match against Ghana, which ended in a 2-2 draw last Thursday. Unfortunately, Salah will be absent from Egypt's final group game against Cape Verde, scheduled for Monday night (today). Additionally, if Egypt advances to Round 16, Salah will also miss that match. However, the 31-year-old is expected to recover in time for a potential quarter-final clash.
Speaking about his fitness ahead of the Cape Verde game, Salah told reporters on Sunday, "My injury is still there, but the most important thing now is to focus on the game. We are very positive; we have great players and a great team, and we need to fight and see what will happen."
Salah expressed his desire to win AFCON, saying, "I would love to win it. I have won everything possible, but this is not yet. We are not doing great now, but we have a fantastic team and a great coach, so we need to stay focused."
Salah emphasised his belief in the team's potential: "I believe that with hard work, everything is possible, so we just need to win one game to qualify, and we go from there."