Huge Mohamed Salah concern for Egypt! Liverpool icon a doubt for World Cup round of 32 tie vs Australia

Hamstring setback for Salah

As

Hossam Hassan provides injury update

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan remains optimistic about the situation surrounding Salah. Following the physical encounter with Iran, Hassan addressed the media and shared a positive conversation he had with Salah regarding the issue.

Hassan said: "I spoke with Salah and, God willing, the injury doesn't seem serious. He assured me it would be fine, that it's not a serious injury." Egypt qualified from Group G in second place, in no small part thanks to Salah, who has scored one goal and provided two assists in the tournament so far. The coaching staff will be desperately hoping that Salah is correct in his own assessment and that the hamstring strain is indeed minor.

Previous fitness struggles for Salah

The current hamstring issue is particularly worrying for Egypt because Salah experienced a similar problem relatively recently. A notable hamstring problem kept Salah sidelined for

However, Salah demonstrated his impressive recovery capabilities by returning to full fitness in time to feature prominently in Liverpool's final two matches of the domestic season.

Egypt will be praying that Salah can produce a similar recovery miracle this time around. Given that Salah has scored an incredible 68 goals in 119 appearances for his national team, his presence on the pitch is absolutely vital if Egypt are to overcome a stubborn Australia side and progress further into the latter stages of the World Cup.

What happens next for Egypt?

Egypt and their medical staff will closely monitor Salah over the coming days as he undergoes intensive treatment. The medical team face a race against time to get Salah ready for Friday's crucial encounter against Australia in Dallas. If Salah fails to pass a late fitness test, Hassan will have to quickly formulate a new tactical plan to keep their World Cup dreams alive.