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Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah tested positive for the coronavirus, the Egyptian Football Association confirmed, ahead of the African Cup of Nations double qualifying match against Togo.
Sources have told ESPN that the former Chelsea and AS Roma player, who is the Premier League’s top scorer this season with eight goals, will now likely have to be quarantined in Egypt for a seven-day period to comply with COVID. -19 protocols in the country.
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Salah’s forced absence will be a major blow to Liverpool, who will also be without Joe Gomez after the England defender suffered an injury while on international duty.
Gomez could miss most of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a damaged knee tendon.
Salah, who will miss the Premier League clash with Leicester City after the international break and possibly the Champions League home game against Atalanta on 25 November, is the fifth Liverpool player to be forced out of action due to COVID-19 this season, with Thiago. Alcantara, Sadio Mane, Konstantinos Tsimikas and Xherdan Shaqiri also tested positive from the start of the campaign.
Salah’s loss, following Gomez’s injury, amid an international hiatus comes just a month after Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expressed his frustrations and concerns over the number of international matches being played this season.
“I really don’t want to sound disrespectful as we don’t know too much about what other countries are doing, but everyone right now wants to have a family around you. You want to support your players. I’m not saying this is the safest place in the world. world, but it’s the place we know, at least. We know how to deal with different situations and scenarios, “Klopp said.
“Right now as a club we are completely alone. As a football club, you are alone right now.
“We have to make sure we get the players home in the fastest and safest way because nobody helps us. This is the situation we are in. It is really difficult. We try everything to do it right and as safe as possible.”
