Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is expected to return to Anfield this week after Egypt's AFCON campaign ended with a 1-0 semi-final defeat to Sadio Mane's Senegal
11:04, 15 Jan 2026
Mohamed Salah
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Mohamed Salah will return to Liverpool soon(Image: )
Mohamed Salah's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) journey has ended in a familiarly disappointing manner, with the Liverpool star's aspirations of clinching the title once again dashed.
In a cruel twist of fate, it was former teammate Sadio Mane who shattered Salah's dreams. The Al-Nassr winger scored the only goal of the semi-final between Senegal and Egypt, striking from outside the box in the 78th minute.
This resulted in further heartbreak for Salah and another shot at AFCON glory for Mane, whose decisive penalty won the trophy in 2022, defeating Egypt. Salah will have to grapple with this crushing defeat upon his return to Liverpool.
Sadio Mane celebrates scoring in the AFCON semi-final
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Sadio Mane once again crushed Mohamed Salah's AFCON dream(Image: )
However, despite Egypt's exit from the competition, the 33 year old won't be heading back immediately. Egypt is set to compete in a third-place playoff on Saturday, which coincides with the second half of Liverpool's match against Burnley, reports Liverpool.com.
Consequently, Salah's departure from Morocco will be delayed until next week. No concrete plans have been made yet, and Liverpool is understood to be mindful of the fact that Egypt still has another match to concentrate on.
However, it is anticipated that Salah could make it back in time for the Champions League match against Marseille on Wednesday, before Liverpool takes on Bournemouth the following weekend.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Premier League match against Brighton
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Liverpool will soon have Mohamed Salah back in the squad(Image: Getty Images)
It's worth noting that Salah did not participate in the Reds' last European away match due to controversial comments he made in the Elland Road mixed zone a few days earlier.
The striker claimed he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club after being named amongst the substitutes for the third consecutive match against Leeds United.
Salah suggested that the forthcoming fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion might be his final appearance for the side.
That appears less probable now, and following his absence from that Inter Milan clash, he was included in the squad to take on the Seagulls before linking up with the Egypt national team.
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Salah was brought on as a first-half replacement and showed the kind of dedication and drive that has frequently been lacking this campaign.
His exit for AFCON was very much an intermission in the saga rather than the finale, though, and whilst the expectation is that Salah will stay with Liverpool until at least the season's end, club officials have continued to assess the circumstances in the weeks that followed.
Whether Salah might still face sanctions remains uncertain, but his participation next week will provide welcome respite given the Reds' current shortage of options.