Egypt are sweating on the fitness of star man Mo Salah after he came off injured in their 1-1 draw with Iran.
Salah, 34, was replaced in the 57th minute and it soon became clear he had an issue.
A member of the medical team came over to bind an ice pack to what appeared to be his hamstring as he sat on the bench and Salah was also seen cajoling his team-mates from the touchline with the ice still strapped to him.
When asked for clarity on the situation after the game, Egypt manager Hossam Hassan said: ‘He is still being assessed by the medics. We are waiting for the report on Salah.
‘We will see when we go back to the hotel and have another examination as well. I talked to Salah and he said he’s going to be OK and it’s not a big injury.
‘We still have time to talk to the medical staff, I think he will be back and when I spoke to Salah he assured me he’s going to be OK.
Mo Salah was seen with an ice pack strapped to his left hamstring after coming off
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sweden | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| 2. Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 3. Bosnia & Herzegovina | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 4 |
| 4. Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| 5. Senegal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 6. Iran | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 7. Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 8. Korea Rep | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 9. Algeria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 10. Scotland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| 11. Uruguay | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
| 12. Congo DR | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
‘He asked to come off. If a player asks to be substituted, it means he felt something,’ Hassan later told beIN Sports.
‘We’ll make sure what the problem is. We’ll assess him.’
Salah’s forced departure meant the game against Iran was the first in five total World Cup matches that he’s not provided a goal or assist.
He suffered a hamstring injury to the same leg that was treated with an ice pack while in action for Liverpool towards the end of last season.
That was at the end of April and the problem kept him out until the penultimate game of the season when he came off the bench against Aston Villa.
He was then able to start his final game at Anfield to say goodbye to Liverpool fans and is a free agent ahead of next season.
Egypt finished second in their World Cup group behind Belgium on goal difference and will be desperate for Salah to be available for their game in the round of 32.
The Pharaohs are set to play Australia on July 3 in Texas in a game they will view as eminently winnable.
A likely meeting with Argentina in the round of 16 would then follow if Lionel Messi and Co beat Cape Verde.
Iran, meanwhile, are currently in the top eight third-place qualifiers but face a nervous wait to see if they’ll remains in those spots.
