Liverpool face anxious wait on Salah fitness after forward forced off in FA Cup final

Mohamed Salah is a doubt for Liverpool’s pivotal end-of-season fixtures – including the Champions League final – after being forced off in the 32nd minute of his side’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea.

Salah was replaced by Diogo Jota and headed straight to the changing rooms after leaving the pitch having required treatment with a groin problem.

“He plays a lot of minutes, a lot of games, he’s had a long season,” said Jermaine Jenas on commentary. “As a Chelsea player seeing Mo Salah go off, it gives you a bit of a lift.”

Liverpool, who were already missing Fabinho with a hamstring problem, are playing every possible fixture this season and the FA Cup final was their 60th match of the campaign so far.

Kostas Tsmikas scored the decisive spot-kick as Liverpool won 6-5 on penalties, but it was not all good news as their Egyptian forward will now need to be assessed ahead of the trip to Southampton on Tuesday, with Liverpool playing Wolves on the final day of the Premier League season as they bid to wrestle the title from Manchester City.

The Champions League final in Paris then takes place on 28 May, with Salah admitting he is out for revenge following the Reds’ 2018 defeat to Los Blancos in Kyiv, during which he suffered a shoulder injury at the hands of Sergio Ramos.

“We have a score to settle,” he tweeted after Real Madrid reached the final with an extraordinary comeback against Manchester City.

beIN Sports described Salah’s substitution as a precautionary decision, however, with presenter Carrie Brown adding: “Don’t write off his chances of being in the Champions League final yet.”

Liverpool face an anxious wait to determine the severity of his injury, with his absence set to be a huge blow to their quadruple hopes.

Virgil van Dijk was also taken off at the beginning of extra time, with Liverpool yet to confirm an injury.