Mohamed Salah has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since competing at the Africa Cup of Nations, but has still been in regular contact with his Liverpool team-mates.

Mohamed Salah is continuing to make his presence felt in the Liverpool dressing room as he steps up his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury. Salah got injured during Egypt’s second group match against Ghana and then returned to Merseyside for treatment.

Liverpool has coped well without Salah, who has missed the last seven matches, with the only defeat coming at Arsenal on Sunday. That result saw Arsenal close the gap to two points at the top of the Premier League but Liverpool has also made it to the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup fifth round without the 31-year-old, the latter coming at the Gunners’ expense.

Forwards Diogo Jota, Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo have all stepped up up to provide 11 goals and seven assists in Salah’s absence. Harvey Elliott, who was originally signed as a right winger before being transformed into a midfielder by Jürgen Klopp, has also been playing in that position over the past month.

Reflecting on his relationship with Salah, the 20-year-old said: “I think to the very day I retire I’ll always be learning different things from different players and Mo is a great example of that. Especially because we kind of played the same position when I first joined the club.

“I signed as a right winger, knowing that it would take a miracle to take his spot! I had to adapt my game but there were things I could take from that position into the midfield where I play now: goal-scoring threat, creativity and stuff like that.

Elliott also shared how Salah has been helping him and his younger Liverpool team-mates during his absence. “With Mo, he’s always trying not only to push myself but the other youngsters as well and, in all fairness, he doesn’t really need to do it,” the England Under-21 international told Liverpool’s matchday programme.

“He’s an icon on and off the pitch and it would be easy to just focus on himself and keep making sure he’s breaking records and so on, but he takes time out of his day to check in on us, to make sure we know that if we need anything, he’s always there to give us pointers.

“For instance, although he was at the AFCON with Egypt, he messaged me after the Arsenal game in the last round of the FA Cup saying, ‘how did you find it?’ and so on. They are the things he doesn’t have to do but he’s just a great human being and always wants the best for everyone. To have him in the team and to see what he’s accomplished is just unbelievable and it’s a pleasure to share the pitch with him.”

Liverpool.com says: Salah remains Liverpool’s talisman and the sooner he is back on the pitch the better. His importance to the dressing room cannot be underestimated and he has clearly developed strong relationships with younger members of the squad. If Elliott can take on those tips from the Egyptian, he will take his own career to the next level.