Bad news for Liverpool: Mohamed Salah absence extended as Egypt reach Africa Cup of Nations round of 16
While Mohamed Salah has recently lost his unquestioned status at Liverpool, he remains one of the most important players in the squad. However, head coach Arne Slot cannot count on him at the moment because he is competing in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
Salah and his teammates opened the tournament on Monday with a 2-1 win over Zimbabwe, thanks to goals from Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush and Mo himself. That result was followed by another victory on Friday, a 1-0 win over South Africa, once again sealed by a goal from the Liverpool winger.
With those results, Egypt have officially clinched a spot in the round of 16, even though they still have one group-stage match remaining. They will face Angola on Monday knowing that nothing can take away either their qualification or their position at the top of Group B.
In the round of 16, Egypt will face one of the teams that advance as the best third-place finishers from Groups A, C, or D. While it is still too early to know for sure, based on the current standings the potential opponents are Mali, Tanzania, or Benin. That match is scheduled for Monday, January 5, at Adrar Stadium in Agadir.
How many more Liverpool matches will Salah miss?
Egypt’s strong run at the Africa Cup of Nations was expected, given that they are considered one of the favorites to win the tournament. Still, confirmation that they have safely navigated the group stage is unwelcome news for Liverpool, who will have to wait longer to get one of their biggest stars back.
So far, Salah’s absence has only affected one match for the Reds, last Saturday’s game against Tottenham. That impact will grow in the coming weeks, however. The winger will obviously miss this Saturday’s match against Wolverhampton, as well as the next two Premier League fixtures against Leeds United and Fulham.
If Egypt were to be eliminated in the round of 16 — an unlikely scenario — Salah could return to England in time for the following match, which would be against current league leaders Arsenal on Matchday 21.
But if Egypt continue their winning run and advance to the semifinals, Salah would not return to Liverpool before January 18. In that case, he would miss at least two additional matches: against Barnsley in the FA Cup and Burnley in the Premier League. He could potentially be available when the UEFA Champions League resumes on January 21, with Liverpool set to face Olympique Marseille.