Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Egypt Football Association confirmed, ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Togo.
Sources have told ESPN that the former Chelsea and AS Roma player, who is the Premier League’s joint-leading scorer this season with eight goals, is now likely to have to quarantine in Egypt for a period of seven days in order to comply with the COVID-19 protocols in the country.
Salah’s enforced absence will be a huge blow to Liverpool, who will also be without Joe Gomez after the England defender suffered an injury while on international duty.
Gomez could miss the majority of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a damaged knee tendon.
Salah, who will miss the Premier League clash with Leicester City after the international break and potentially the Champions League home game against Atalanta on Nov 25, is the fifth Liverpool player to be forced out of action due to COVID-19 this season, with Thiago Alcantara, Sadio Mane, Konstantinos Tsimikas and Xherdan Shaqiri also testing positive since the start of the campaign.