Mohamed Salah looks to be on the verge of yet another record at Liverpool after Pep Guardiola confirmed Erling Haaland could miss the rest of the Premier League season.
Salah has been in sensational form this season, having scored 32 goals and added 22 assists in 43 games across all competitions. 27 of those goals have come in the league, putting him in pole position for the Premier League’s Golden Boot.
His main competition for the award, Haaland, sits six goals further back, although his hopes of catching Salah now look to be over. The Norwegian was forced off during Manchester City’s FA Cup win over Bournemouth at the weekend, with Guardiola now confirming that his star striker could be absent for the rest of the league campaign.
“They told me, the doctors, between five to seven weeks. So hopefully the end of the season and by the Club World Cup he will be ready,” Guardiola said on Tuesday. “Sometimes there are years when these kinds of things happen. It happened all season.
“I would say that it could have been different if it was the end of the season [before the Club World Cup]. So with all the injuries we have had this season, I’m so sorry for them and for Erling as well. So [I wish him] a good recovery, as speedy as possible, then come back.”
With Haaland seemingly out of the running for the Golden Boot, Salah would appear to have the prize already within his grasp. His next nearest challenger is Newcastle’s Alexander Isak on 19, while Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood is on 18.
With just nine league games remaining though, it looks unlikely anyone will be able to catch Salah, meaning he will claim his fourth Golden Boot, becoming the first Liverpool player to achieve that feat. Michael Owen is the only other Reds player to have won it multiple times, having done so in 1998 and 1999.
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In fact, Salah will become only the second player across any club to win the award four times. The only other to have done so is Thierry Henry, having won it in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 at Arsenal.
Liverpool.com says: If there is anyone still doubting whether Salah can be considered a world class player, this is surely more evidence in his favor. Going level with Henry, considered by many to be one of, if not the, greatest player to grace the Premier League is a mark of just how good he has been since arriving at Anfield.
Considering how much he loves breaking records, hopefully he might have his eyes on going past Henry, and that would of course mean staying at Liverpool for at least another year.
