Liverpool handed Mohamed Salah boost in Premier League title race with Arsenal and Man City

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has been left out of the Egypt squad for an upcoming friendly tournament in what is a huge boost for the Reds in the Premier League title race.

Jurgen Klopp’s side drew 1-1 with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, with Salah coming on in the second half. Salah, 31, left the Africa Cup of Nations early when he picked up a hamstring injury on January 18 against Ghana and has struggled with injury since.

He was able to play again in mid-February, coming on as a substitute in a game against Brentford, but was then sidelined again because of muscle fatigue, according to Liverpool manager Klopp. Salah was back in training this week and even came on in the 74th minute of their 5-1 victory over Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Liverpool top-scorer has 19 goals this campaign and his return to fitness sparked a club-versus-country row, with Egypt previously rejecting Liverpool’s request to exempt their captain from the tournament in Abu Dhabi, where they will face New Zealand and then either Tunisia or Croatia in the final. Liverpool boss Klopp previously admitted: “Two games with Egypt is really not up to me.

“We want to be careful, we have to be careful, but we’re in the middle of a super-intense period of the season and we need everyone.”

However, Salah has now been omitted from the squad announced by the Egyptian Football Association on Sunday and so will be able to remain with Liverpool to work on his fitness for the title run-in. The decision will be a huge boost to Liverpool, who are battling both Arsenal and Man City for the Premier League title. The Reds, who have already won the Carabao Cup, are also fighting for the Europa League and FA Cup.