Mohamed Salah hasn’t started the 2025-26 season with the same effectiveness that was on display last term.
Salah was in remarkable form as Liverpool won the Premier League in Arne Slot’s first season and ended speculation about his future by signing a new contract at Anfield.
Renewing Salah’s deal came with the acknowledgement that he proudly represents Egypt at international level and can be unavailable for a number of matches mid-season.
Mohamed Salah will miss more Liverpool matches this winter to play for Egypt
Egypt have a busy few months ahead of them and head coach Hossam Hassan has elected to manage his players accordingly.
The Pharaohs are due to compete in the Arab Cup in Qatar in the first half of December before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations begins on Sunday, December 21.
Salah is expected to lead Egypt as captain at the flagship CAF tournament in Morocco, which runs to the middle of December.
But the 33-year-old will be available for Liverpool until the Africa Cup of Nations because Egypt will name a ‘B’ squad to compete in Qatar.
Coach Helmi Toulan will be in charge of a primarily home-based Egypt squad, which gathered for a training camp last month and included former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, who now plays for Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates.
The Egyptian second string are scheduled to face Mauritania or Kuwait in their Group C opener at the Arab Cup in Lusail before taking on the UAE and Jordan in their last two group matches.
Salah and the senior squad get their Africa Cup of Nations campaign underway against Zimbabwe in Agadir on Monday, December 22.
Their other group stage opponents are South Africa and Angola, and the Pharaohs will be expected to progress into the latter stages of the tournament, which concludes with a final in Rabat on Sunday, January 18.
Salah, who is ranked at no.1 FourFourTwo's list of the best African footballers ever, has twice been an Africa Cup of Nations runner-up. Egypt were defeated by Cameroon in 2017 and by Senegal on penalties in 2021, and are usually among the favourites.
Egypt have won the tournament seven times including three consecutive triumphs between 2006 and 2010.
The legendary Liverpool forward was involved in the October international match window, scoring twice against Djibouti in Casablanca as the Pharaohs secured their return to the World Cup after failing to qualify for Qatar 2022.
Salah has been less prolific in front of goal for his club this season but Liverpool will look to get back to winning aways as they host Aston Villa in Premier League action this weekend.
