Liverpool are set to lose Mohamed Salah for the Africa Cup Of Nations this month but the Reds have been boosted with Arne Slot confirming FIFA's deadline to release players
Arne Slot gave an update on Mohamed Salah with the Liverpool forward set to depart for AFCON later this month
Arne Slot gave an update on Mohamed Salah with the Liverpool forward set to depart for AFCON later this month
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Everything you need to know about Mohamed Salah's departure to AFCON with the Liverpool forward set to represent Egypt
Mohamed Salah is scheduled to participate in the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament with his national team, Egypt. A key development is that FIFA has granted Premier League clubs an extension, allowing them to keep their key African players until December 15th.
This schedule change provides a significant boost for Liverpool, ensuring Salah's presence for a key league encounter. Manager Arne Slot will now have the Egyptian available for the Premier League clash against Brighton on December 13th.
Sot confirmed Salah's departure date in his press conference on Tuesday, saying: "Yeah, yeah we have (been told a date to release him, I think FIFA does this, I don’t know exactly. But it’s December 15. But as always in these situations, there is a player involved, there is the nation involved - Egypt in this situation - and the club. And there is always talks about what is best for all three of us."
The AFCON tournament is set to run from December 21st to January 18th in Morocco, according to the timeline mentioned in the article. Salah's national side, Egypt, is highly regarded in the competition and is listed among the favorites to win the trophy.
If Egypt performs strongly and progresses all the way to the tournament final, Liverpool will face an extended period without their leading goal-scorer. In this scenario, Salah could potentially miss up to seven important fixtures across various competitions.
The list of league fixtures Salah could miss includes key battles against several top-flight opponents over the busy winter period. These are matches against Spurs, Wolves, Leeds United, Fulham, Arsenal, and Burnley.
The potential absence also includes an as-yet-undrawn FA Cup match, adding another significant fixture to the list of games he may miss. There is also a theoretical chance for an earlier release for a friendly against Nigeria, but Liverpool is not obliged to release him for that particular game.
Salah's recent game time was managed as he was left on the bench for Liverpool's 2-0 win over West Ham United at the weekend. Slot explained this decision was a combination of tactical reasoning and necessary player load management amid a congested schedule of "four games in 10 days."
Despite the recent benching and past criticisms of his form, Arne Slot strongly defended the player's enduring value to the team. The manager praised Salah's unbelievable career at the club and stressed that he remains a "special player" crucial for Liverpool's future success.
Read the full story:How many games Mohamed Salah will miss to AFCON as Liverpool handed huge boost from FIFA