As they await further news on the severity of the injury he suffered on Saturday, Liverpool fans will hope and pray they have not seen the last of Mohamed Salah in the Reds shirt.

However, there appeared to be a collective understanding between player and supporters, when he left the field just before the hour mark against Crystal Palace, that might be the case.

Moments earlier, Salah had been serenaded by The Kop while standing over a Liverpool corner. It has not been a vintage season for him, but Salah's nine years of excellence and his status as the club's third-highest goalscorer warrants those regular moments of acclaim.

The fear is as Salah hesitated to acknowledge the ovation from all sides of Anfield, and the crescendo of appreciation in response, that a reality was being recognised. With just four games of the season remaining, and a decision on his future already made, the Egypt international's outing against Palace may have been his last.