Mohamed Salah will miss the next two matches at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after the Egyptian Football Association confirmed the extent of his injury that he suffered on Thursday.
Liverpool's talisman was forced off late in the first half of last night's 2-2 draw with Ghana, although he was able to walk off the pitch.
"Mohamed Salah suffers a strain in his back muscle and will miss two matches in the African Nations," Egypt's FA said on X.
"The x-rays that Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egyptian national team, underwent, showed that he suffered a strain in the posterior muscle, and he will miss the team’s next two matches in the African Nations against Cape Verde, and then the round-of-16 match in the event of qualification."
Egypt's match against Cape Verde takes place on Monday 22 January and should they qualify, then their round-of-16 encounter will be on Saturday 27 January.
Earlier on Friday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that Salah would have further tests on his injury.
"I spoke with him last night and how it was," Klopp told the club's official website ahead of Liverpool's Premier League match at AFC Bournemouth on Sunday.
"At that moment he was shocked and couldn't see why he was hit by something so intense."
What does it mean for Salah's FPL owners?
There would have been initial concern over the extent of Salah's injury to his 28 per cent ownership in Fantasy Premier League, but given that he is likely to only miss two matches, he could still be a viable option when he returns from AFCON.
Salah could be back in Merseyside as early as next week if Egypt are eliminated at the group stage and should he recover in time, Liverpool host Chelsea on Wednesday 31 January in Gameweek 22 before visiting Arsenal four days later.
