AFCON: All the Liverpool Games Mohamed Salah Could Miss while on International Duty

• Liverpool will lose Mohamed Salah in the new year as he takes part in AFCON
• Salah has enjoyed a stellar season with Liverpool in the first half of the campaign
• If Egypt have a decent AFCON campaign, Salah could miss critical, games against Chelsea and Arsenal

Liverpool is set for tough times at the start of 2024, as they will be without Mohamed Salah for several games.

Egypt’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations spells trouble for Liverpool, who could be without Salah for as many as eight games.

The Reds will be in league and cup action in January and February 2024, and Salah’s absence will undoubtedly be felt.

Wataru Endo is also set to miss a couple of games for his side as he will participate in the AFC Asian Cup. Endo and Salah will make their final appearance for Liverpool in the New Year before officially departing for international duty.

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How many games will Salah miss?

The African Cup of Nations is set to kick off on January 13 2024, and runs until February 11, according to BBC.

Salah is guaranteed to miss at least four Liverpool games as he takes part in the group stages of the competition, with Egypt taking on Mozambique in their opener on January 14.

Salah will have to leave England soon after the Reds’ game against Newcastle as Egypt have a friendly against Tanzania on January 7, a week before their opening AFCON game.

Group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations run until January 24 and if Salah’s Egypt go out, he will only have missed three games for Liverpool: an FA Cup match with Arsenal on January 7, the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham on January 10, and Liverpool's trip to face Bournemouth on Sunday, January 21.

What happens if Egypt goes all the way?

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According to TalkSport, Egypt’s last group game is against Cape Verde on Janua,ry 22 and if the Pharaohs get knocked out, Salah could make it back to England in time for Liverpool's second-leg semi-final clash against Fulham.

However, the likelihood of Egypt exiting AFCON in the group stages is relatively low, and Salah is likely to miss more matches.

If Egypt goes all the way to the final, it would mean trouble for Liverpool, who will be without their top scorer for crucial games against Chelsea and Arsenal. He would also be absent for a league clash against Burnley and a potential FA Cup fourth-round tie.

Here is the breakdown of games Salah could miss due to AFCON:

Fulham - H - Carbao Cup semi-final second leg - January 24

Potential FA Cup fourth-round tie - January 27

Chelsea - H - Premier League - January 31

Arsenal - A - Premier League - February 4

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Burnley - H - Premier League - February 10

If Egypt goes to the final:

Arsenal - A - FA Cup third round - January 7

Fulham - H - Carabao Cup semi-final first leg - January 10

Bournemouth - A Premier League - January 21

Klopp on Salah's absence

Sports Brief also reported on Jurgen Klopp’s take on his team in the absence of Mohamed Salah.

In his latest press conference, Klopp refused to give too much away when asked about Salah’s potential replacement when the Egyptian plays in the AFCON.

“We would have solutions today; I hope we have that after the Newcastle game as well,” Klopp said.