Portugal star forward Cristiano Ronaldo heaped praise on Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, wishing him a speedy recovery before the start of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The Real Madrid star also said Salah is a prime candidate for a FIFA Ballon d Or award.
"Mo Salah has been one of the revelations of the year," Ronaldo was quoted as saying by the UK s Daily Mirror on Tuesday.
Liveprool s top scorer Salah, who delivered outstanding performances in the Premier League this season, trained individually on Monday for the first time since injuring his shoulder in last month s UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Salah sprained his shoulder ligaments after a challenge from Real defender Sergio Ramos in Kiev.
Real Madrid star Ronaldo consoled Salah while he was departing the pitch after the injury.
However, the 25-year-old s participation in Egypt s World Cup opener against Uruguay on Friday remains uncertain.
"I hope his injury in the final in Kiev doesn t keep him out," Ronaldo added.
Scoring 44 goals in all competitions in his marvelous debut at Liverpool this season tipped Salah for entering the Ballon d Or race alongside Ronaldo and Barcelona star rival Lionel Messi who both dominated the prestigious award for almost a decade.
Asked about whether Salah can be a contender for the Ballon d Or, Ronaldo said, "Many people talk about the Cristiano Ronaldo-Messi battle but there are other players who have the chances to compete in the race. The Egyptian is one of them."
This month, Egypt will be making their first World Cup appearance since 1990, when they were eliminated at the group stage.
The seven-time African champions, Egypt, will take on hosts Russia on 19 June before facing Saudi Arabia in their final group stage game on 25 June.
