Mohamed Salah will need between three and four weeks to recover from his injury and be ready for the World Cup, but it's still unknown whether the Egyptian star will be fit before the end of the tournament’s group stage. 

According to Liverpool’s trainer, Rubens Pons, Salah faces a recovery period of up to four weeks.

But the president of the Egyptian Football Association seems more optimistic and claims that Salah will be ready in three weeks before the second game of Egypt's campaign in Russia.

Salah damaged the ligaments in his right shoulder during Liverpool's Champions League final defeat on May 26 against Real Madrid. The Reds forward had to leave the pitch 30 minutes into the game after a hard challenge by Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos that ended up with the Spanish defender landing on top of Salah’s shoulder.

“We knew that it was something serious as soon as he fell on the ground because he never complains. We feared the worst,“ said Pons to Spain’s Daily Marca about the Premier League's player of the year.

Following the game, Salah posted a message saying: "It was a very tough night, but I'm a fighter. Despite the odds, I'm confident that I'll be in Russia to make you all proud. Your love and support will give me the strength I need."

Salah is presently in Valencia, Spain, to get further treatment accompanied not only by Liverpool’s medical staff but also by the Egyptian federation’s president and its national team doctor.

The Pharaohs begin their World Cup campaign in Group A against Uruguay on June 15, before facing hosts Russia on June 19 and Saudi Arabia on June 25. Ahead of those games, Salah is racing against time to perhaps shorten his recovery for Egypt’s only third World Cup appearance and its first since 1990.

In Russia, Salah could end up facing Ramos once again. If Egypt could qualify for the last 16 in second place in Group A, it would put him on a collision course with Spain.

The Spaniards are favorites in Group B, and if La Roja wins its group as expected then it will face the runner-up from Group A, where Egypt are likely to battle Russia - one of the lowest-ranked hosts of any World Cup in history. 

Meanwhile, a petition calling for UEFA and FIFA to 'punish' Sergio Ramos has gathered over 500,000 signatures.

On change.org, a user named "Mohamed Salah Abdel-Hakeem" accuses Ramos of trying to "intentionally" hurt Salah. The initiative calls for “UEFA and FIFA to take measures against Ramos and similar players, using the video recordings of matches to keep the spirit of the game."

UEFA has already confirmed that Ramos would face no punishment, while also adding that no other protests had been lodged regarding the challenge between Ramos and Salah.

Another complaint against the Real Madrid defender comes from an Egyptian lawyer who has filed $1.15 billion lawsuit against Ramos for the challenge.

Lawyer Bassem Wahba confirmed his intention on Egyptian television. "Ramos intentionally injured Mo Salah and should be punished about his actions," he claimed on the Sada El-Balad channel.

"I've filed a lawsuit and a complaint to FIFA. I'll ask for compensation for the physical and psychological harm that Ramos gave Salah and the Egyptian people," said the lawyer.