The Reds talisman will return to domestic duties ahead of schedule, allowing time to rest before the resumption of the Premier League at the weekend, national team coach Rui Vitoria said on Sunday.

Salah travelled back to Egypt for international duty and scored twice in Friday’s 3-0 win against Niger – the national hero even had time to join a couple of newlyweds for a photo during training – but has been left out of the squad for today’s second and final friendly in Alexandria.

The news will no doubt come as a huge boost for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, who has often griped about his players travelling far and wide for a congested international week. The Reds boss will be hoping that three weekends away from domestic duties – Premier League games against Wolves and Chelsea were postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II – will act as a natural reset after a poor start.

Klopp’s side has picked up just two wins from their opening six games, leaving them nine points off Arsenal at the top and eight short of regular title rivals Manchester City. While the pile up of injuries has not helped, one explanation could be that the squad is still reeling from last season’s mammoth 63-game stint.

With Egypt not having qualified for the World Cup later this year – they lost to Sadio Mane’s Senegal in a play-off – Salah will hope that the rest can allow him to kick on, having scored just three goals in eight games so far this season.