Liverpool star forward Mohamed Salah's Champions League final ended in tears with a shoulder injury. Could his World Cup dream be under threat too?
The Egyptian, who had been expected to play a major role in Sunday's final, was in obvious pain and covered his face with his hands before pointing to his left shoulder.
Salah was hurt when he tangled with Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos and was treated, but he collapsed to the ground again four minutes later and left the game after 30 minutes with the score at 0-0.
Real Madrid went on to win the final 3-1.
Veteran defender Ramos had grabbed Salah chasing the ball and held on to his right arm. In their twisting fall, the Egypt forward landed heavily on his left shoulder. Ramos was not shown a yellow card.
It is unclear how badly Salah was hurt.
Egypt’s team doctor Mohammed Abulela said he contacted Liverpool’s medical team who told him that Salah’s shoulder would undergo an X-ray in the coming hours to gauge the seriousness of the injury and decide on treatment.
The final had been hyped as a duel between Salah and Real's Cristiano Ronaldo, who patted the Egyptian on the head as he walked off the field.
Salah scored 10 goals in the Champions League this season, but the closest he went in the final was a blocked shot before his early exit. He also had a corner, which Virgil van Dijk headed wide.
Adam Lallana, who had only recently returned from a hamstring injury, replaced Salah.
The Egyptian national team, preparing for its first World Cup since 1990, posted a picture of Salah on Twitter with the message: “Get well soon.”
Egypt will face Uruguay in their opening Group A game on June 15 before facing host nation Russia and Saudi Arabia.
They also have pre-tournament friendlies against Colombia on June 1 and Belgium five days later.
The tackle, which ended Salah's final provoked fury in Egypt, where Salah is a national hero. “Ramos is a dog,” was one trending topic on Twitter there, along with other insults.
Ramos has a reputation as a tough-tackling player and broke the La Liga record for red cards last year.
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