Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah has not quite been at his sparkling best recently.
Martin Keown has suggested that Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah could be playing within himself through fear of picking up an injury.
The 26-year-old has set unbelievably high standards for himself after last season’s brilliant first year at Anfield and many feel that he’s nowhere near those heights at the beginning of this campaign.
He has been directly involved in four goals in just six games this season, but wasn’t at the races in the win over Paris Saint-Germain in the mid-week Champions League match.
Ex-Arsenal defender Keown believes that Salah is not being as physical in possession anymore and speculated that the injury he sustained in the Champions League final to Real Madrid last season could still be playing on his mind.
“Has Salah been the same since his shoulder was dislocated by Sergio Ramos?” Keown said in a question-and-answer session on the Daily Mail.
“Ever since he has seemed to be playing within himself. He lost possession 21 times against Paris Saint-Germain and it was his mistake that led to their equaliser.
“He looks particularly reluctant to use his physicality to protect the ball. Is Salah concerned about picking up another injury?”
Liverpool have won all six games this season to make a perfect start and look a dominant force even without their talisman on top of his game.
But the Egypt international will surely return to his best imminently and he’s impressively still impact matches when he is a little below par.
Manager Jurgen Klopp now has the luxury of a stronger squad at his disposal and he can afford to rotate, but Salah remains the most valuable player at the Merseyside club.
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