Mohamed Salah has been named in Egypt’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad as Liverpool eagerly await FIFA’s decision on the player’s release date for the competition.
Mohamed Salah’s inclusion in Egypt’s squad for the African Cup of Nations is a huge blow for Liverpool, who have been without their star man for a few games. The tournament is scheduled to run from December 21st to January 18th, and should Liverpool reach the final, it will coincide with games against Wolves, Leeds United, Fulham, Arsenal and Burnley.
However, Salah could leave Merseyside even sooner. This is because Egypt’s training camp begins on Wednesday, and the closed-door camp continues from Sunday.
They will also play a friendly against Nigeria on Sunday, December 14th, before heading to Morocco for final training three days later. However, Liverpool are not obligated to let Salah go at this stage.
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According to reports, the club want to keep the 33-year-old for the game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, December 13th. Liverpool are currently awaiting FIFA’s final decision on when players must be released into the tournament.
The international football governing body is expected to mandate the release of players two weeks before the tournament, which falls this Sunday. In that case, Salah will miss Liverpool’s games against Inter Milan and Brighton.
His last game for the club will likely be against Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday 6th December. Here are the games Salah could miss due to AFCON.
Inter Milan (A) – Champions League – 9 December Brighton (H) – Premier League – 13 December Tottenham (A) – Premier League – 20 December Wolves (H) – Premier League – 27 December Leeds United (H) – Premier League – 1 January Fulham (A) – Premier League – 4 January Arsenal (A) – Premier League – January 8th Burnley (A) – Premier League – January 17th
Salah will also miss Liverpool’s games against Spurs, Wolves and Leeds over the holiday season. However, his availability for subsequent matches will depend on the duration of the tournament in Egypt.
The Reds may not feel Salah’s absence as keenly as they did last year. Despite his excellent form in the Premier League last season, when he won the title, Salah’s performance in the 2025/2026 season has been less than stellar, with just five goals and three assists in all competitions.
It comes as Liverpool have struggled with the poor form of England’s first team this season. As it stands, the reigning Premier League champions are languishing in eighth place in the league table, having won just two of their last five games.
Still, manager Arne Slott will be hoping Sunday’s 2-0 win against West Ham will be a turning point for his team. Liverpool’s next match is against AFC Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday.
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