Mohamed Salah’s injury has raised concerns over whether we see him in a Liverpool shirt again, but a recent example with Roberto Firmino demonstrates the best-case scenario.
The Brazilian’s final weeks at Anfield were disturbed by a muscle injury that threatened to end his season. This, just weeks after Firmino announced he would leave Liverpool.
Similarly, Salah was forced off against Crystal Palace with what appears to be a hamstring injury, and word from the Egyptian national team is that he could miss four weeks. That would mean a tight timeline to get back on the pitch before the end of the season — something his old teammate managed three years ago.
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Liverpool v Crystal Palace - Premier League
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Roberto Firmino got his dream Liverpool end, so can Mo Salah
Firmino went down injured at about this time in the 2022/23 season, and the absence threatened to take away his chance to bid Liverpool farewell.
The window for recovery was tight but he managed to be available for a final clash at Anfield against Aston Villa, coming off the bench to find an 89th-minute equaliser — one last special moment in front of the Kop.
He followed that with another goal away at Southampton in the final outing of the campaign.
That’s the opportunity Salah has. If all goes well, he could make it back into contention for the final game of the season against Brentford, which happens to be at Anfield. Missing that would be a sickening blow — not just for Salah, but for everyone who cares about Liverpool.
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Hopefully, he can follow in his old running mate’s footsteps.
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Florian Wirtz knee slides in celebration after scoring for Liverpool during their Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC).
Photo credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC
Someone will get a golden opportunity at Liverpool
It’s hard to find positives in this injury to the Egyptian, but if there is one, it’s that another player will get the chance to stake their claim for a wide attacking role next season.
Liverpool will replace Salah in the transfer market, but this absence could open the door for a current player to make a statement of intent.
That could be Jeremie Frimpong playing higher up, Rio Ngumoha being deployed on the opposite flank, or even someone like Federico Chiesa getting another chance to impress Arne Slot.
The games between now and the final day are all high-stakes clashes with table implications, and that offers someone the chance to make a difference.
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