Liverpool are guaranteed to be without Mohamed Salah for their trip to Arsenal in early January after Egypt booked their place in the round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Friday.
Salah departed for AFCON after Liverpool’s 2–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, the 33-year-old having returned to the team against the Seagulls for the first time since his explosive interview in which he threw his Liverpool future into doubt.
With Salah now seemingly set to stay at Anfield following his reintegration, Liverpool will be desperate to have their talismanic forward back as soon as possible, especially following Alexander Isak’s latest injury setback that restricts Arne Slot’s attacking options further.
Unfortunately for the Reds, they will have to wait that bit longer for Salah’s comeback. Thanks to winning goals from the winger in AFCON group games with Zimbabwe and South Africa, Egypt became the first team to book their ticket to the competition’s knockout phase.
Even if Egypt lose that fixture, the turnaround between the match and Liverpool’s away Premier League match at Arsenal on Jan. 8 will be too tight for Salah to feature at the Emirates Stadium.
Slot’s men have steadied themselves in recent weeks after a dismal October and November, but they will still be fearing the worst heading to high-flying Arsenal next month. Their assignment will be all the more challenging without Salah.
When Will Salah Return for Liverpool?
It remains impossible to know exactly when Salah will return from international duty, but Liverpool supporters might secretly be hoping for an early Egypt exit that would see their star forward return as swiftly as possible.
Should Egypt be knocked out in the round of 16, then Salah would most likely be available for the FA Cup third round match with Barnsley on Jan. 12, although he appears unlikely to start that fixture regardless.
Egypt’s quarter-final would be staged on Jan. 10 if they make it beyond the last 16, while their semi-final battle would take place four days later. Should they reach the final, Salah will be unavailable for Liverpool until after the showpiece event on Jan. 18.
If Egypt make it all the way to the final, then it seems unlikely that Salah will make his club comeback until the clash with Bournemouth on Jan. 24, or perhaps even Liverpool’s final Champions League league phase duel with Qarabağ on Jan. 28.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mohamed Salah Set to Miss Huge Liverpool Fixture As Egypt Advance at AFCON.
