Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool career will not end on a stretcher. That much has been made clear by manager Arne Slot, who used his Friday press conference to confirm the Egyptian forward is on course to play again this season despite the injury scare that clouded last weekend’s 3-1 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace.
Salah was withdrawn during that match to a standing ovation from Anfield supporters — a moment that prompted widespread concern the 33-year-old’s final chapter at the club had been written ahead of schedule. However, Liverpool FC confirmed on April 29, 2026 that the forward had sustained only a “minor muscle injury,” alleviating fears of a more serious setback.
“We expect him to be back in the final part of the season, but not for Sunday,” Slot told reporters. “It’s a big relief that his injury is minor, so that he’s able to play for us, that he’s able to play at the World Cup.”
Salah will therefore sit out Sunday’s fixture at Old Trafford, one of the most high-profile remaining games on Liverpool’s calendar. The contest against Manchester United carries additional emotional weight given the forward’s status as one of the defining players of the Premier League era.
Slot was unambiguous about what the Egyptian international deserves as he prepares to leave Anfield at the conclusion of this campaign. “If there’s ever a player who deserves to get a big send-off, it’s definitely Mo,” the Dutch coach said.
The statistics underpin that sentiment. Since arriving from Roma in the summer of 2017, Salah has scored 257 goals in 440 appearances for Liverpool — a record that places him among the club’s all-time greats alongside Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, and Steven Gerrard. His contributions include a Premier League title in 2019/20, the club’s first top-flight championship in 30 years, as well as a Champions League triumph in 2019 and an FA Cup and League Cup double in 2022.
Salah’s departure at the end of this season marks the conclusion of a contract that was not renewed, with the forward understood to be weighing options in Saudi Arabia and potentially elsewhere in Europe. His exit follows that of fellow long-serving defender Virgil van Dijk, whose future at the club had also been the subject of significant speculation. Former England captain Wayne Rooney recently suggested both players had shown signs of decline attributable to age, though Liverpool’s performances this season have largely contradicted that narrative.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon — a tournament Slot explicitly referenced when discussing Salah’s recovery timeline — the forward will be eager to arrive at the global showpiece in full fitness. Egypt’s qualification for the tournament would give Salah a major international stage on which to cap an extraordinary career chapter.
For Liverpool supporters, the priority remains ensuring their departing talisman receives a sendoff befitting his contribution to the club. Whether that comes at Anfield or elsewhere in the final weeks of the season, Slot’s assurances suggest Salah will at least have the opportunity to say goodbye on his own terms.
