Mohamed Salah, who sustained a hamstring injury at the Africa Cup of Nations, might make a comeback this next weekend.

.

The injury occurred in Egypt’s second group game against Ghana on January 18, and the Liverpool attacker travelled back to Merseyside for treatment after the group stages concluded. The 31-year-old received harsh criticism in his home country for making this decision, despite the fact that Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, later revealed that the injury was more serious than initially believed and would take 21 to 28 days to heal.

With only 21 days to recover, the Egypt captain would have had to race against the clock to be ready for the AFCON final on February 11; otherwise, he would not have been able to play until February 8, the day following the tournament’s semi-finals. In the end, the Pharaohs’ round-of-16 departure would render the issue irrelevant.

Salah might be able to make a comeback if he stays on Merseyside for Liverpool’s match at home against Burnley on Saturday. If his mandated absence does, in fact, last 28 days, a return will not be possible until the Reds’ trip to Brentford on February 17.

But even though Salah was sidelined for three to four weeks, two of Egypt’s greatest icons continued to criticise him for his “abandonment” back home.

Ahmed Hassan, the record-breaking Pharaohs player, would adamantly maintain that Salah “should stay with the team no matter what.” Meanwhile, record goalscorer Hossam Hassan revealed he would have banished Salah from the camp if the forward had asked to return to Liverpool, adamant that it was the wrong decision.

.

According to KingFut, Salah stated, “If he feels like travelling, he should travel and not return to the national team again because the injury is not severe.” “He need physical therapy, which the national team offers.

“Large facilities are not necessary for a hamstring injury in Liverpool. Large teams always send medical professionals and physical therapists to these competitions along with their best players; Liverpool knows that if Salah is in need of anything, medical professionals will be sent to him.

.

Salah is a valuable member of the national squad who ought to be retained for moral and psychological reasons. His availability to play at any time benefits other teams, but his departure will hurt Egypt and benefit the opposition.

“We have good players on the national team, therefore I would advise him to go to Liverpool if I were the manager of Egypt and he expressed this wish to me.

“Salah is among the greatest players to have represented Egypt internationally, but playing for the national team is a no-no.” You play an important role both technically and morally, even if you are injured and unable to perform.

“Even if we lose the final, all of the players have given it their all, and I don’t want to make any big claims,” he went on.

“In my opinion, being in the Egyptian national team camp is an honour for anybody.” He is a crucial player, and the coaching staff now has the duty of getting the other players ready.

“We don’t target Salah; outside of Egypt, he is a legend. But the choice about his care in Liverpool was incorrect.

Although Ramy Abbas, Pepijn Lijnders, and Jurgen Klopp were quick to support Salah and criticise those who questioned the captain of Egypt’s decisions, the Liverpool star may now be in for an awkward meeting as Hossam Hassan was named Egypt’s new manager, just a few weeks after he publicly criticised Salah.

Having been named Pharaohs captain in September 2019, it is unclear if Salah’s new international manager plans to stick with Salah in that role. Though, despite Hassan’s earlier assertion that, had he been manager, he would have demanded Salah not return to the AFCON, it does not appear likely that he would bench the forward.

It will be interesting to watch, though, how quickly the two can put their differences behind them given that the new Egypt boss publicly criticised the star player for the Pharaohs.