Mo Salah Could Miss Eight Liverpool Games, Including Two Against Arsenal, If Egypt Go Deep At AFCON

Liverpool will be without Mo Salah in early 2024 as Egypt compete in the Africa Cup of Nations. But how many Liverpool games will Salah miss due to AFCON?

Robert Summerscales | Dec 29, 2023

Mo Salah Could Miss Eight Liverpool Games, Including Two Against Arsenal, If Egypt Go Deep At AFCON /

Mo Salah has been the best player in the Premier League during the first half of the season.

The 31-year-old has delivered 12 goals and seven assists in 19 EPL games for Liverpool, as well as netting three times in the Europa League.

Salah's fine form has helped Liverpool get to the top of the Premier League table.

However, Jurgen Klopp will have to find a winning formula without his star man in order to maintain that position over the coming weeks.

Salah will play for the Reds against Newcastle on Monday night but that will be his last club game for around a month at the very least.

Liverpool confirmed in a club statement on Friday that Salah will not be involved in the FA Cup third round game at Arsenal on January 7.

Mohamed Salah pictured playing for Egypt against Djibouti in November 2023 — Mo Salah will jet off to the Ivory Coast to represent Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations in January :: IMAGO/NurPhoto/Ayman Aref

The statement read: "Mohamed Salah will link up with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations following Liverpool's clash with Newcastle United.

"The Reds play their first game of 2024 when they host the Magpies at Anfield on Monday night. Salah is available to feature in that fixture, before he joins up with his nation for the latest edition of AFCON, to be held in the Ivory Coast."

If Egypt fail to progress beyond the group stage then Salah may only miss four Liverpool games - the FA Cup clash with Arsenal, an EPL trip to Bournemouth and both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham.

However, Egypt - having reached the final of AFCON 2021 - are expected to go deep.

The final of AFCON 2023 - which is being played in 2024 - will be on February 11, a day after the third-place playoff.

Mo Salah pictured after Egypt's defeat by Senegal in the 2021 AFCON final — Salah pictured after Egypt's defeat by Senegal in the 2021 AFCON final :: IMAGO/Shengolpixs/Christopher Moses Onah

If Egypt reach the semi-finals then Salah will not be able to make his Liverpool return until February 17 when Klopp's side visit Brentford.

In such a scenario, Salah would miss an extra three Premier League games - against Chelsea, Arsenal and Burnley - plus the FA Cup fourth round should Liverpool get that far.

Which Liverpool Games Mo Salah Will Definitely Miss Because Of AFCON

Jan 7: Arsenal (away), FA Cup 3rd round
Jan 10: Fulham (home), Carabao Cup semi-final 1st leg
Jan 21: Bournemouth (away), Premier League
Jan 24: Fulham (away), Carabao Cup semi-final 2nd leg

Additional Liverpool Games Salah Will Miss If Egypt Progress Beyond Quarter-Finals

TBC, FA Cup 4th round
Jan 31: Chelsea (home), Premier League
Feb 4: Arsenal (away), Premier League
Feb 10: Burnley (home), Premier League

Published Dec 29, 2023

ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.