Virgil van Dijk is hoping that Mohamed Salah can return to the pitch this season after the Egyptian was forced off with a muscle issue during Liverpool's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Liverpool captain believes Salah will "do everything in his power" to pull on the Liverpool shirt one final time before his expected departure at the end of the campaign.
Salah's injury scare
Salah, who is the club's third-highest scorer of all time with 257 goals, made his 440th appearance for Liverpool in the victory at Anfield. However, he was substituted just before the hour mark after suffering a muscle problem. Head coach Arne Slot confirmed after the match that the 33-year-old would undergo a scan to assess the full extent of the injury. With only four fixtures remaining in the season, there are concerns that Salah may have already played his last game for the Reds.
On Sunday, Egypt's technical director Ibrahim Hassan suggested Salah would be sidelined for four weeks, but Van Dijk remains optimistic. "We will see him again this season? I hope so," Van Dijk said, as reported by the Liverpool Echo. "There will be a medical assessment and then that will determine what the issue is going to be. I know he is doing everything in his power to be back on the pitch as soon as possible."
Van Dijk's thoughts on the situation
Van Dijk acknowledged the emotional challenge of an injury at this stage of the season. "If you get injured at this stage of the season, especially in the situation he is in, there are only two more home games left for him... it's a combination of feelings that go through your mind when you go off," he said. "The reality is he has to get scanned, assessed, hopefully he won't be long, but at this point I don't know. Maybe he's back next week, maybe not. I have no idea."
The Liverpool captain also dismissed concerns about Salah missing a proper send-off. "He will get the send-off regardless. I don't think that is the thing at this point, we shouldn't think too far ahead. Knowing Mo, he is a quick healer with the right people around us and let's see."
Liverpool's upcoming fixtures
The Reds climbed to fourth place after their win over Palace. They face a trip to third-placed Manchester United on Sunday at Old Trafford, followed by matches against Chelsea at home, Aston Villa away, and Brentford at home on the final day of the Premier League campaign.
