Mohamed Salah sets off alarms at Liverpool: the Egypt star will travel to the AFCON 2025 and could miss crucial Premier League matches

Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool superstar forward, will join the Egypt national team on December 15 to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025), which will take place in Morocco from December 21 to January 18.

“It’s December 15, but as always in these situations, there is a player, a country and a club involved. There will be discussions about what is best for all three. There is always communication between the player, the club and the national team. It’s nothing new,” said Arne Slot, Liverpool’s manager, ahead of the match against Sunderland.

Could miss up to six Liverpool matches

Salah, who started on the bench and had no minutes in Liverpool’s recent win over West Ham, could play his final match before the tournament against Brighton & Hove Albion. If Egypt reach the AFCON final, the forward could miss up to six Premier League matches, including key fixtures against Arsenal—the current league leaders—and Tottenham.

“Of course a player is not happy if he doesn’t play. He wasn’t the only one frustrated about not starting, but that’s normal. His behavior was exactly what you expect from a top professional: he supported his teammates and handled the situation extremely well,” Slot added.

The Egyptian star, who last season led Liverpool to the Premier League title with 29 goals and 18 assists, has only scored five goals this season (one from the penalty spot) and contributed three assists.

“Salah is extremely disciplined. He knows exactly what he must do to stay fit. Whether he plays or not, whether he has a good match or not, he is always a model professional, and he has shown that over the last two days,” the coach emphasized.

Egypt have been drawn in a competitive group with South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe, and Mohamed Salah will aim to win his first Africa Cup of Nations title, after finishing as runner-up in 2017 and 2021.