by Mahmoud Fouly
CAIRO, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Many Egyptians, particularly soccer fans, are currently concerned about the performance of their national team in the imminent FIFA World Cup after Egyptian-born Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was badly injured during the recent European Champions League final.
"We're all thunderstruck and worried because Egypt's national football team will do nothing in the World Cup without Mo Salah," said Hesham Mahmoud, a college student, outside Cairo University in Giza province.
The 25-year-old Salah had to leave the pitch in the 31st minute after a tough challenge from Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.
Salah's shoulder seemed to have been dislocated during the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid that was played Saturday evening in Kiev and won by the "Los Blancos" for the third time in a row.
However, the Egyptian soccer superstar has relieved his worried fans with a post on Twitter.
"It was a very tough night, but I'm a fighter," Salah said in the post.
The English Premier League 2018 player of the year added "despite the odds, I'm confident that I'll be in Russia to make all proud."
"Your love and support will give me the strength I need," the goal machine said.
Salah, the 2018 best African footballer, is seen by all Egyptians as a national hero who finally secured his country a seat in the world's top soccer competition after 28 years of absence.
Egyptians hang much hope on Salah, who was named recently the English Premier League 2018 player of the year, to help the national team advance beyond the group stage in Russia.
On Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi phoned the Liverpool winger to ask about his health after his serious injury.
"I communicated with Egypt's loyal son and my son Mohammed Salah to check on his health after his injury," Sisi posted on his official Facebook page. "As I predicted, I found him a hero who is stronger than the injury and enthusiastic to resume on the road to championship and distinction."
Gamal Abdel-Hamid, an Egyptian popular ex-footballer who played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, said that Salah's injury would perplex the plans of Hectur Cuper, the Argentinean coach of the Egyptian team.
"As a former professional player, I knew Salah's injury was bad...we all were shocked when we saw Salah's injury," the former Zamalek Football Club striker told Xinhua.
When Salah fell down on the ground and couldn't stand up out of pain, Abdel-Hamid said, he realized it was a serious injury that could be a dislocated shoulder.
Abdel-Hamid added that Liverpool have a distinguished medical team that will accurately diagnose Salah's case and decide the treatment and the required time accordingly.
"As for our Egyptian national team, we all pin hope on Salah and the coach relies on Salah to make his plan a success. I believe the performance of our national team without Salah will be puny," Abdel-Hamid pointed out.
Right after the Real Madrid-Liverpool game, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp told reporters that Salah's injury is "really serious," adding that Salah's participation in this summer's World Cup with Egypt's national team is in doubt.
But the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said on its Twitter account early on Sunday that it had contacted Liverpool's medical team to seek updates on Salah's injury.
The EFA revealed that Liverpool officials said scans showed that the injury is a sprain of the shoulder joint ligaments.
"Doctor Mohammed Aboul-Ella (Egypt's national team doctor) expressed his optimism that, according to the diagnosis, Salah will be able to play at the World Cup," the EFA said.
Meanwhile, Egyptian minister of sports Khaled Abdel-Azizi, said on Sunday that Salah needs two weeks to fully recover from his injury, adding he will be fit for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The minister affirmed in a statement on his Facebook page that Liverpool medical staff are in contact with their Egyptian counterparts in the Egyptian national team, adding that a copy of the x-ray scan was sent to the Egyptian doctors.
Abdel-Azizi said that Salah, who scored 44 goals for the Reds this season, will remain in Liverpool until completing his treatment before joining Egypt's national team camp in Italy when he takes the green light from doctors.
"Salah will join the Egyptian national team final squad for the World Cup that will be announced 4 June," the minister stressed.
However, the news about a possible participation of Salah in the World Cup did not put the minds and hearts of Egyptian fans completely at ease.
"I am more concerned because Salah may take from two to three weeks of treatment, after which he will need more training before coming back to play," Hany Hassan, 41, a soccer fan from the Pyramids City in Giza who watched the match at Safari Café, told Xinhua
Hassan said that 50 percent of the team's strength, technically and psychologically, relies on Salah.
"Even veteran British starts like Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer said that Liverpool is psychologically affected without Salah," the Egyptian fan noted.
Commenting on Ramos challenge that led to Salah's injury, Hassan said the captian of Madrid and Spanish national team is notorious for his violent interventions, adding he has a high record of red cards.
"He is violent by nature. I believe his violent attack against Salah was meant to get the Liverpool star out of the pitch," Hassan said.
