Mohamed Salah’s injury sent shockwaves through Liverpool and left football fans everywhere buzzing. When the Egyptian star missed key matches, everything changed. Liverpool had to rethink their tactics, and suddenly the Premier League title race looked a lot more unpredictable. Outlets like BBC Sport have been quick to point out how much Salah’s fitness shapes Liverpool’s chances.
Mohamed Salah Injury Timeline: How Liverpool Adapted Game by Game
Salah’s injury first popped up as a real issue in early February. He limped off in the middle of a high-stakes game and fans instantly worried. Right after that, Liverpool ditched their usual 4-3-3 setup, opting for a safer 4-2-3-1 with Jota up front. What happened? Their build-up play slowed down, and the right wing just didn’t have Salah’s trademark speed.
Against teams hovering around mid-table, Liverpool managed to grind out results, but there just wasn’t the same spark—xG slipped from 2.1 down to 1.2 per match. Teams stopped pressing Liverpool’s right side as hard; they knew the main threat was missing. The problem was clearest during that UEFA match, when late tactical changes left Liverpool scrambling for answers.
But here’s the thing: by game three without Salah, Klopp shook things up. He tried a false nine, pulling Gakpo into the middle and pushing Nunez wide. That brought back some unpredictability, but the end product still wasn’t there. As Goal pointed out, Liverpool’s shot conversion rate tumbled under 10% after the injury—way below their numbers when Salah’s firing.
Honestly, nobody expected Salah’s absence to ripple through the squad quite this much.
Mohamed Salah Injury: it by the Numbers: xG, Possession, and Impact on the Title Race
Losing Salah didn’t just mean one less superstar on the pitch—it changed Liverpool’s stats across the board. Before he got hurt, Liverpool averaged 62% possession and rattled off 15.3 shots a game. Without him, possession dipped to 56%, and their shot tally dropped to just 11.8.
Here’s another eye-opener: right-sided attacks fell by 29%. That’s huge. The team’s expected goals (xG) with Salah sat at 2.03 per match, but without him? Only 1.07.
Can Liverpool keep their title dreams alive like this? Sky Sports crunched the numbers and found Liverpool’s points per game dropped from 2.34 with Salah to just 1.62 without him. In a title fight that’s this close, that swing could be the difference between lifting the trophy and coming up short.
If you love tracking stats and milestones, you know these numbers matter. Salah’s goals are just part of the story—he also drags away defenders and gives his teammates more space to work with. Want more on what happens when stars go missing? Take a look at our full breakdown: Mohamed Salah
