Egypt is awaiting the full assessment of star player Mo Salah's fitness after he was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury during the team's 1-1 draw against Iran in the World Cup. Salah, 34, was substituted in the 57th minute of the match.
Following his departure from the field, Salah was seen with an ice pack strapped to his hamstring while sitting on the bench. He also communicated with teammates from the sidelines with the ice still in place.
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan stated after the game that Salah was still being evaluated by the medical staff and that the team was awaiting a report. Hassan added that he had spoken with Salah, who assured him the injury was not serious. "We will see when we go back to the hotel and have another examination as well," Hassan said. "I talked to Salah and he said he’s going to be OK and it’s not a big injury."
Hassan also noted that if a player requests a substitution, it indicates they felt something. "He asked to come off. If a player asks to be substituted, it means he felt something," Hassan told beIN Sports. "We’ll make sure what the problem is. We’ll assess him."
This was the first World Cup match in which Salah did not contribute a goal or an assist. The hamstring injury is to the same leg that he had treated at the end of last season while playing for Liverpool, an issue that kept him out until the penultimate game of the season.
Egypt secured second place in their World Cup group on goal difference behind Belgium and is scheduled to play Australia on July 3 in Texas in the round of 32. The team will be hoping for Salah's swift recovery to be available for this crucial match.