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Mohamed Salah limped off the pitch in the 57th minute against Iran, and roughly 200 million Egyptian hearts skipped a beat simultaneously. The Liverpool forward picked up a left knee injury during Egypt’s 1-1 group-stage draw on June 27, raising immediate questions about his availability for the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What Salah told his coach on the sideline
Hassan addressed the injury situation publicly after the Iran match, relaying a direct message from his star forward. Salah told his coach the damage wasn’t as bad as the optics suggested.
“It’s not a big injury.”
That was Salah’s assessment, according to Hassan, who expressed confidence that the 34-year-old would be fit for the knockout stages. The reasoning is straightforward: there’s still adequate time between the end of group play and the start of the elimination rounds for Salah to recover.
Salah reportedly requested to come off the pitch himself after feeling discomfort in his left knee.
The hamstring shadow looming over everything
This isn’t Salah’s first injury scare of 2026. Back in April, Salah suffered a hamstring tear that effectively ended his Liverpool season. Salah’s body has been through a demanding season at Anfield, followed by an accelerated recovery timeline to make himself available for Egypt’s World Cup campaign. Adding a left knee issue on top of a recently healed hamstring creates a compounding fitness picture that Hassan and his medical staff will need to manage carefully.
The expanded 48-team format of this World Cup means more matches, more travel, and more physical toll on players.
Egypt’s historic run adds pressure to the equation
On June 22, Egypt beat New Zealand 1-0. That was the first World Cup victory in Egyptian football history. Egypt competes in Group G alongside Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand. The 1-1 draw against Iran keeps Egypt in contention for advancement to the knockout rounds.
What to watch in the coming days
Egyptian medical staff will likely run imaging on Salah’s left knee to rule out any structural damage. The complicating factor remains that hamstring tear from April. When one part of the lower body compensates for a previously injured area, other joints and muscles absorb additional stress.
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