Mohamed Salah: Injured Egypt star to have 'rehab' at Liverpool

 Mohamed Salah will return to Liverpool for treatment on the leg injury he suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations, but Egypt are hopeful he can come back for a potential semi-final.

Salah was injured in Egypt's 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday in Group B.

"It makes sense that he's doing the rehab with us," said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on Sunday, before Egypt confirmed the forward's return.

Egypt face Cape Verde on Monday and will reach the knockouts with a win.

The Egyptian football association had initially said on Friday that Liverpool forward Salah would only feature in the tournament again if his nation advance to a quarter-final on 2 or 3 February.

Asked if the 31-year-old would go back to Afcon should his country progress, Klopp added: "I would say if Egypt qualifies for the final, if he's fit before the final, then probably yes."

However, Salah's agent Ramy Abbas Issa subsequently appeared to cast doubt on the forward's chances of taking any further part in this year's Afcon.

"Mohammed's injury is more serious than first thought and he will be out for 21-28 days, and not two games," he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"His best chance at participating in the current Afcon is by undergoing intensive rehabilitation in the UK and rejoining the team as soon as he is fit."

If Salah was out for 21 days from the date he sustained the injury, he would not be available again until 8 February, three days before the Afcon final.

Klopp had suggested on Friday that Salah's hamstring problem was likely to be severe, given the forward had missed just 10 league games for the Reds in more than six seasons.

"He was shocked and couldn't see why he was hit by something so intense," said the German.

"You have these hamstring injuries in a different way. He felt it and we know how rarely Mo goes off, or needs to go off, so it is definitely something."