Egypt have been dealt a major injury blow with captain Mohamed Salah set to undergo scans after being forced off during the 1-1 draw with Iran. The Liverpool winger, who will become a free agent on July 1, was substituted by Mostafa Zico in the 57th minute of Saturday's group-stage match.
Salah's World Cup Campaign in Jeopardy
The 34-year-old has been instrumental in Egypt's historic run to the knockout stages, scoring his 68th international goal in a 3-1 win over New Zealand and providing two assists in the tournament. However, his participation in the last-16 clash against Australia next Friday is now in serious doubt.
The Egyptian FA provided a concerning update on X after the Iran game, stating: "Hossam Hassan, the technical director of Egypt's first national team, confirmed that Mohamed Salah, the team captain, complained of pain in his hamstring during the Iran match in the 2026 World Cup, which led to his withdrawal from the game in the second half."
Hassan added that left-back Ahmed Fotouh also felt pain in his hamstring, while Mohamed Abdelmonem suffered an ankle bruise. All three players are scheduled to undergo X-rays and medical examinations under team doctor Dr. Mohamed Aboul Ela to determine their treatment programs.
Club Future Uncertainty
Salah's injury comes amid ongoing speculation about his next club. The forward's agent, Ramy Abbas, denied reports that Salah has already decided on his future, posting on X: "Mohamed is doing perfectly fine and neither he nor I prefer to discuss sensitive future plans with people not involved in them. Both he and I are very private about these things."
Abbas's comments follow claims by Turkish businessman Torunogullari that Salah was keen to join Fenerbahce. Torunogullari told Fotospor: "He was very keen on coming to Turkey. The meetings we had were extremely positive. I believe that if the new management makes such a request, Salah will wear the Fenerbahce jersey."
Salah will leave Liverpool as one of their greatest-ever players, having won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup, and two League Cups since joining from Roma in June 2017.
