Salah Racing Against Time to Make Liverpool Comeback Before Emotional Exit

Arne Slot declined to give a definitive assessment of Mohamed Salah's troubling muscular injury, though the Liverpool manager did suggest that the consummate professional would need only the "minimum time" to get back to full fitness.

Salah's last moment on the Anfield pitch may well have been waving to all four corners of the stadium as he hobbled toward the touchline. The club's third-highest scorer of all time pulled up against Crystal Palace after attempting a backheel just before the hour mark. A wry grin crossed Salah's face as he grabbed the back of his left leg, which gradually shifted to a more worried expression by the time he had exited the field.

Any player suffering a fitness setback at this point in a World Cup year will be anxious. But for Salah, there is the additional weight of this being his last season at Liverpool.

What Injury Does Mohamed Salah Have?

Salah made it evident that he had hurt his left hamstring after going down on the turf. The resilient forward had gone over two years without a muscular injury before picking up a problem back in March. Now he faces the prospect of back-to-back stints on the sidelines within just a few weeks.

As Slot has repeatedly emphasized, Salah's injury history is a testament to an extraordinary work ethic and an almost obsessive dedication to his profession. Stepping into the player's personal gym is like walking into some kind of cutting-edge laboratory. The 33-year-old leaves nothing to chance, yet no one can outrun the unpredictable nature of fitness indefinitely.

When Will Mohamed Salah Return From Injury?

Mohamed Salah. Forever writing history. pic.twitter.com/0z9SWNisPo

"We don't know. That is the best answer I can give," Slot said when faced with a barrage of questions about Salah's condition immediately after the final whistle of Liverpool's 3–1 win over Crystal Palace on April 25. "If I say there might be a chance [he may not play again], that is probably all the headlines, that there might be a chance, so we simply don't know.

"But what we do know is that the season in four weeks is over. Not a lot of games are being played so we have to wait and see how his injury is, if he can return to play.

"What I do know about Mo is he has taken so good care of his body all these years that he will have the minimum time required to recover from an injury and let's hope for the best, that he is available in the last part."

The Times referenced reports from Egypt suggesting Salah could be sidelined for a month, casting doubt over his participation in Liverpool's season finale against Brentford on May 24.

The Reds have essentially secured Champions League qualification and have nothing else to compete for in their remaining matches, while Salah also has a World Cup campaign with Egypt on his mind. In any other season, the remainder would be written off in favor of international ambitions. Yet Salah will never have another opportunity to bid farewell in this way.

Liverpool's Remaining 2025–26 Fixtures

* Date to be confirmed

Salah will almost certainly be absent for the away fixture at Manchester United—much to the relief of the Red Devils. At the time his Liverpool departure was announced back in March, only seven United players had scored more goals at Old Trafford than the prolific Egyptian throughout the entire 2020s.

Chelsea may also avoid a reunion with their former winger, while Aston Villa will be watching developments closely. All attention will turn to the final day of the season, when Liverpool wrap up a disappointing title defense with a home clash against Brentford at Anfield.

The Bees may still be pushing for European football at that stage of the campaign, yet the spotlight will firmly be on Salah's Merseyside farewell. Whether that emotional send-off comes from the pitch or the stands remains to be seen.