Coach Sadio Mane eliminated Mohamed Salah from the African Cup of Nations, with Senegal defeating Egypt by one point in the semi-finals. The former Liverpool winger scored a stunning winning goal with 12 minutes remaining, taking his country into the final and eliminating Egypt from the competition. Mane and Salah exchanged a hug just before the start of the match, but their focus quickly returned to the game, leading to a clash on the sideline.
Liverpool manager Arne Slott has been without Salah in recent weeks and, despite Egypt’s defeat, he will remain in Morocco until the weekend for a third-place match against either Morocco or Nigeria.
As a result, Salah will miss this weekend’s game against Burnley and is likely to miss the Champions League match against Marseille on Wednesday, January 21st.
He is expected to return for the away game at Bournemouth that weekend, or for the European game against Qarabag in the middle of next week.
Salah has had a difficult season so far, with his goalscoring numbers declining, resulting in Slott having to sit on the bench for several games.
A violent riot in the mixed zone after the match against Leeds United at Elland Road raised serious questions about his immediate and long-term future.
Salah was not included in the squad that beat AC Milan in the Champions League, but was included as a substitute against Brighton at Anfield.
Salah, who was injured early in that match, came on as a substitute in the first half and managed to provide an assist before heading into the tournament.
Despite Salah’s absence, Liverpool remain unbeaten despite three draws against Arsenal, Leeds United and Wolves.
Salah is due to return to Merseyside later this month, with Liverpool’s squad facing a different situation, mainly due to injuries.
