Mohamed Salah departed Liverpool to compete at the AFCON after losing his place in Arne Slot’s XI.
Salah called out the club in a scathing interview following a 3-3 draw with Leeds United in December.
It came on the back of the Egyptian being benched for three Premier League matches in a row, and subsequently saw Slot drop the winger for Liverpool’s Champions League meeting with Inter Milan.
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PROVE ME WRONG: FSG need to get rid of Slot and do EVERYTHING they can to keep Salah!
Mohamed Salah prior to Manchester City FC v Liverpool FC - Premier League
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The 33-year-old returned to the squad against Brighton and Hove Albion, coming off the bench for the injured Joe Gomez to provide an assist.
But talk over Salah’s future has remained after he left Merseyside to compete at the AFCON a few days after that match.
Liverpool hope for Mohamed Salah after AFCON
It has been suggested that Salah could leave Liverpool in 2026, with the MLS mooted among the potential destinations.
When he does return from representing Egypt, it will be interesting to see if Slot puts him straight back into the starting XI.
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Whether that happens or not, however, Liverpool expect one of their all-time top goalscorers to remain at Anfield this month.
According to David Ornstein, the Reds ‘fully expect’ Salah to be at the club once the transfer window slams shut in early February.
Hope that Salah stays at Liverpool until the end of June 2027 is mooted, but Ornstein added that if issues with the player remain, it’s possible he could leave before his contract expires in just under 18 months’ time.
Who would be the best Mohamed Salah replacement? 🤔
Jamie Carragher looks on ahead of the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield
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When does the AFCON finish?
We should get a good idea of any potential problems still being there once the winger is back from AFCON.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Egypt are still going strong in the tournament, most recently beating Ivory Coast 3-2 on Saturday.
They will now face Sadio Mane’s Senegal in a semi-final meeting on January 14, three days out from Liverpool’s clash with Burnley.
If Salah and co. are knocked out on Wednesday, he could return to England ahead of the weekend’s Premier League action.
However, if they win and compete in the final on January 18, the Reds’ first fixture after that is a Champions League tie with Marseille on January 21.
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