Liverpool coach defends Salah after accusations he is not committed to Egypt

Liverpool’s assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders has defended Mohamed Salah’s decision to return to the club and complete his injury recovery there.

The Egypt forward left his international side after sustaining an torn hamstring in their 2-2 draw with Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking on Tuesday, 23 January, Lijnders said: “You should never doubt the commitment of Mo Salah. I never met a guy, and also a human being, who is more committed to the life of being a professional football player.”

Salah’s departure has attracted criticism due to his role as Egypt captain, prompting Ahmed Hassan, Egypt’s most-capped player, to say Salah was “plotting” his departure from AFCON host Ivory Coast.