GOAL

The Egyptian Football Association has revealed that Mohamed Salah’s absence through injury will “not exceed three weeks”, meaning that the Liverpool forward will play some part at World Cup 2018.

After being forced to leave the Champions League final in tears , fears were immediately raised as to the 25-year-old’s possible participation at a global showpiece in Russia this summer.

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Various timescales have been put on Salah’s recovery, although the man himself was quick to declare himself “confident” that he would be ready for international duty as the furore surrounding an untimely knock swirled around him.

Hani Abo Rida, president of the Egyptian FA, has now confirmed that a talismanic presence for the Pharaohs will need three weeks in which to recover full fitness, with it possible that he could play some part in the group stage for Hector Cuper’s side.

A statement released by the EFA on their official social media channels read: “After the meeting of Abo Rida and the doctor of the national team in Spain today, the Football Association reaffirms that, God willing, Salah’s absence at the World Cup will not exceed three weeks.”

Salah is currently in Spain to undergo treatment on a shoulder problem.

He faces a race against time to recover full fitness in time to feature for Egypt at their first World Cup finals since 1990.

Their 2018 campaign is due to get underway against Uruguay on June 15 , with Salah seemingly destined to sit out that encounter.

He may come back into contention for a meeting with hosts Russia on June 19, while Egypt will be hoping there is still something riding on a clash with Saudi Arabia on June 25 if their star frontman is to be unavailable until then.

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They are desperate to get Salah involved in their plans after seeing him net 44 times across a remarkable 2017-18 campaign with Liverpool.

Those exploits landed him the Premier League Golden Boot and PFA Player of the Year award, among countless other prizes, with a standing now established as a global superstar.

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His popularity has surged inside and outside of Egypt, with the current struggles of a national icon seeing some extreme measures taken by his most loyal followers.

A petition calling for Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos to face punishment for the arm grab which caused Salah’s injury has passed 500,000 signatures, while an Egyptian lawyer has filed a €1 billion (£873m/$1.2bn) lawsuit against the Blancos defender .