Mohamed Salah’s muscle injury is “more serious than first thought” and could keep the Liverpool forward out of action for nearly a month, according to his agent.

On Sunday, Liverpool announced the 31-year-old would be returning from the Ivory Coast, where he was representing Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations, to undergo treatment with the aim of returning to the Pharaohs if they progressed to the knockout stages of the competition.

That optimistic plan, at least according to Ramy Abbas Issa, now looks to have suffered a significant setback.

Posting to his personal account on X (formerly Twitter), the agent wrote: “Mohamed’s injury is more serious than first thought and he will be out for 21-28 days, and not two games.

“His best chance at participating in the current AFCON is by undergoing intensive rehabilitation in the UK and rejoining the team as soon as he is fit.”

The PA news agency has contacted Liverpool for comment.

An Egyptian FA statement, posted on Liverpool’s official website on Sunday evening, read: “After additional examinations were conducted on Mohamed Salah during the last hours, and after communication between the national team’s medical staff and his counterpart at Liverpool FC, it was decided that the player will return to England after the Cape Verde match tomorrow to complete his treatment, with the hope that he will join the national team in the semi-final of the AFCON if we qualify.”

Premier League leaders Liverpool initially struggled to create in the absence of their talisman during Sunday’s game at Bournemouth, but moved five points clear at the top thanks to a crushing 4-0 win earned by second-half doubles from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Speaking after the victory at the Vitality Stadium, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said it “makes sense” for Salah to fly back to Merseyside from the tournament.

“That’s the plan,” the German said before the news was confirmed. “If that’s already decided 100 per cent, I don’t know. But that’s the plan.

“However long he’s out, probably everybody sees it like this, it makes sense that he’s doing the rehab with us or with our people. If that’s written in stone already, I don’t know.

“I spoke with him directly after, the night when it happened. Since then he’s in contact with our doctor. I think he will be back.”

Ashes hopeful Olly Stone is set to undergo a scan to determine the severity of a hamstring problem.

Stone, who has had a luckless run with injuries, pulled up late on Saturday during an over and shuffled off the field in Nottinghamshire’s LV= Insurance County Championship clash against Lancashire.

Despite being in obvious discomfort, Stone hobbled to the crease at Trent Bridge on Sunday as last man and kept out the last four legal deliveries of the Division One match to help his side salvage a draw.

Attention will now turn to his aggravation and it is understood he will be examined more thoroughly once any inflammation in the area has subsided, most likely within the next couple of days.

Stone’s ability to generate speeds upwards of 90mph make him an attractive option for England’s six Tests between the start of June and mid-July – one against Ireland and five versus Australia.

England captain Ben Stokes has indicated he wants eight fit seamers to call upon, all of whom can be rotated to share the burden, with Stone, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood providing the express pace options.

Stone made his England comeback last winter after recovering from a fourth stress fracture in his back – he had an operation to reinforce his lower spine with two metal screws – and a broken finger.

He played in four ODIs and a T20, was an unused squad member during England’s Test tour of New Zealand in February and, on the eve of the county season, spoke of his determination to put his injury woes behind him.

“It’s been encouraging with how much cricket I’ve had under my belt this winter and come through it,” said Stone, who played the last of his three Tests in June 2021.

“I’m feeling fit and strong and just raring to get stuck in now. I’ve looked at things in the past, injuries got in the way and I’ve been quite disappointed so I try not to look too far ahead.

“But everyone knows how big a summer it is and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t on the radar.”