Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool fans hold their breath with Mohamed Salah injury a potentially defining moment in title race

🚨🔴🔴: Mohamed Salah’s injury:

● Liverpool striker Mo Salah left Egyptian team with injury!! 🇪🇬 🤕

🔴- Type of Injury : It’s a crack of the muscle on the left side.

🔴- The period of absence of injury:

First Grade: 1-3 weeks, he will be out.

Grade 2: 3-6 weeks, will be out.

– The Captain

Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool fans hold their breath with Mohamed Salah injury a potentially defining moment in title race

Mohamed Salah went off injured at the Africa Cup of Nations in what could be a pivotal moment in this season’s Premier League title race.

The Reds star went down injured during Egypt’s 2-2 draw against Ghana on Thursday night.

The draw means Egypt must to beat Cape Verde on Monday to be sure of a place in the knockout stage of the competition, although a draw may prove to be enough.

Being without Salah will make their bid for an eighth AFCON triumph, the first of his career, a whole lot more difficult and if the absence is lengthy then it could have an impact on the Premier League title race.

Salah looked emotional as he left the pitch but no diagnosis has been carried out.

It’s a suspected hamstring strain, which are unpredictable, although the extent or even a diagnosis of the injury hasn’t been disclosed

Liverpool will be hoping that the problem is minor with manager Jurgen Klopp reliant on the forward this season.

In 20 Premier League appearances, the ex-Roma star has scored 14 and assisted eight.

The Reds are currently at the top of the table but will need their main man to be fit to keep Manchester City at bay.

Egypt take on Ghana in Group B of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations at the Felix Houphouet Boigny stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Egypt were held to a draw in their opening match by Mozambique.

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Half-time!

The last five minutes have compensated for the direness of what preceded it.

It was the type of game where you felt it’d take a special bit of individual skill to find the breakthrough. Unsurprisingly, it came from Kudus. The 23 year-old took a shot from outside the box from his first touch of the ball and ended the half with another one. The finish was certainly special but the manner in which he escaped the Egyptian players closing him down showed the calibre of the player.

8m ago (20:49 GMT)

GOAL!

Kudus scores for Ghana!

Stunning finish from the West Ham man. He receives the ball on the edge of the box, takes a couple of touches to create space and unleashes a powerful hit with his left foot that flies into the bottom corner.

45+1 mins: Egypt 0-1 Ghana

Salah goes off injured

He’s given the captain’s armband to Hegazi and is leaving the pitch. He’s walking off – so it doesn’t appear to be too serious. He seemed to be touching his hamstring. The Liverpool man looks gutted.

Mostafa Fathi comes on in his place.

45 mins: Egypt 0-0 Ghana

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah receives medical treatment

Salah receives treatment

Marmoush, who has been roughed up by Ghana in this half, is clattered again for the umpteenth time. The guilty party – Salis Abdul Samed – receives a yellow.

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The ensuing free-kick from the left is taken by Marmoush but easily dealt with.

41 mins: Egypt 0-0 Ghana

Referee Pierre, Ghislain Atcho shows a yellow card to Ghana’s

Egypt keeping control of the ball

They’ve had nearly 60 percent of possession in the last 10 minutes but they’ve been able to create little with it. The incision in Ghana’s half is lacking. Salah is routinely dropping deep to try and make something happen.

38 mins: Egypt 0-0 Ghana

Time for the customary water break

The lack of fluency and quality in the game so far has been striking. The numbers back up the eye test – there has been just one shot on target and 11 fouls so far.

The heat might have something to do with the general sluggishness so far. It’s 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) with 80 percent humidity tonight.

32 mins: Egypt 0-0 Ghana

Ghana’s head coach Chris Hughton, left, gives directions to his players

Ghana’s

Stoppage in play as the Auxerre back goes down and gets treated by the physio. The break allows both sides a quick chance at hydration.

28 mins: Egypt 0-0 Ghana

34m ago (20:23 GMT)

Salah is incensed

He’s having an argument with the referee about the tackle on Marmoush from the Ghanian centre backs.

Salah appears to want a penalty there, but I’m afraid he’s wasting his energy – Marmoush ran straight into the defenders. Salah’s protests would have earned him a booking were this the Premier League.

21 mins: Egypt 0-0 Ghana

The Egyptian left back is on the receiving end of a venomous stamp from Jordan Ayew. No malice there from the Crystal Palace striker, but that didn’t look pretty. Hamdi is back on his feet and attempting to run it off.

18 mins: Egypt 0-0 Ghana

Ayew runs out of room

Ghana move the ball nicely between them in midfield and work it towards Ayew, who surges into the box but runs straight into an Egyptian defender. Egypt look behind the eight ball so far.

13 mins: Egypt

LIVE: Egypt vs Ghana – 2023 Africa Cup

Confirmed lineups

Egypt: El Shenawi, Kamal, Abdelmonem, Hegazy, Hamdi, Fathi, Elneny, Ashour, Salah, Mohamed, Marmoush

Ghana: Ofori, Odoi, Djiku, Salisu, Mensah, Salis, Ashimeru, Kudus, Semenyo, Williams, J Ayew

Head-to-head record

Egypt and Ghana have previously met five times in the AFCON, with Egypt holding a 2-1 advantage. Their last meeting came in 2017, when Mohamed Salah’s goal saw Egypt win 1-0 in Port-Gentil, Gabon.