It was announced on Friday following a second swab test that Mohamed Salah has tested positive for COVID-19 whilst on duty for the Egyptian National Team.
Both swabs returned a positive test but a second was conducted to ensure the result was correct – with this now leaving the reds with seven first-team players, almost all of which start every game for the club, out due to injury or illness going into a heavy winter period with 11 games in 7 weeks.
🔴 Salah tests positive for COVID-19 after undergoing a second swab ….. ⬇️⬇️ #EFA pic.twitter.com/VVoYzIJzRu
— EFA.eg (@EFA) November 13, 2020
The positive test means the Egyptian will now be sidelined until the 28th of November, meaning he will miss games against Leicester and Brighton in the Premier League and Atalanta in the Champions League.
I think Salah’s absence couldn’t come at a worse time given the number of games the Reds have to play these next few weeks before the New Year – as well as the number of injuries already sustained to the Liverpool squad, with Andy Robertson also left out of the Scotland game yesterday due to a hamstring strain and Jordan Henderson being substituted off for England with a reported injury.
In light of Robertson’s injury, that now means the club’s entire first-choice back four in out – meaning Sunday’s game against Leicester could see a complete reshuffle with a makeshift defence that we most likely wouldn’t have seen before.
It is frustrating that these incidents occurred during the international break, especially given most of the games were friendlies – but it will give Jurgen Klopp the chance to offer minutes to plenty of other players.
What do you think Reds, did the news about Mo Salah frustrate you? Let us know in the comments below…