Liverpool could be without Mohamed Salah for a significant spell this winter, with Egypt now holding discussions aimed at securing an early release for their captain ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Pharaohs will kick off their AFCON journey against Zimbabwe on December 22, but their camp is hoping to have Salah join up with the squad even sooner — specifically for a warm-up fixture against Nigeria scheduled eight days before the tournament opens.
That friendly falls just one day after Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Brighton on December 13, prompting continued negotiations between the Egyptian FA and the Reds over when the forward will be allowed to depart.
Ibrahim Hassan, the national team director, confirmed talks are also underway with Manchester City over striker Omar Marmoush, saying:
“We are still communicating with Liverpool and Manchester City regarding this issue.”
Salah recently earned his 107th international cap in a friendly defeat to Uzbekistan in the UAE, although he was rested for Egypt’s next game against Cape Verde.
With Egypt drawn against Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Angola in the group stage, Salah is already guaranteed to miss Liverpool’s meeting with Wolves on December 27, and is also likely to be unavailable for the match against Tottenham on December 20, which comes just before Egypt’s opening fixture.
If Liverpool agree to release him for the Nigeria warm-up and Egypt advance all the way to the final — something they achieved with Salah in both 2017 and 2022 — the 33-year-old could miss as many as eight matches across the Premier League and FA Cup.
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Potential Liverpool Fixtures Without Salah
Brighton (H) – Dec 13
Tottenham (A) – Dec 20
Wolves (H) – Dec 27
Leeds (H) – Jan 1
Fulham (A) – Jan 4
Arsenal (A) – Jan 8
FA Cup Third Round – Jan 9/10/11
Burnley (H) – Jan 17
The AFCON tournament runs from December 22 to January 18 in Morocco, and Egypt’s progress will ultimately determine how long Liverpool must cope without their talisman — who also missed part of last year’s edition after suffering a hamstring injury in the group stage.
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