Liverpool could be missing Mohamed Salah for up to six league games due to the Africa Cup of Nations this winter.
That prospect may have filled Liverpool fans with dread at the start of the season, as he’s been their talisman for several years.
However, Salah has made a sluggish start to the campaign, which begs the question: how badly will the Reds actually miss him this winter?
When is the African Cup of Nations?
The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) gets underway in Morocco on December 21. If Egypt reach the final, Salah will be away until at least January 18, so he’d miss a full month of the season.
It’s not just any month either. The festive period is always congested, and Salah could miss league games against Spurs, Wolves, Leeds, Fulham, Arsenal and Burnley.
Last season, he was on fire in the corresponding fixtures. Salah scored twice in the 6-2 away win at Spurs, and he was also on target in a 2-1 home victory over Wolves and a 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates.
The Egyptian forward also has a strong record against newly promoted teams, so he’d normally be licking his lips at the prospect of facing Burnley and Leeds.
He could also miss the FA Cup third round, plus Champions League games, if Egypt go deep into the AFCON. In any normal season, that would represent a major blow for Liverpool.
Yet Salah’s form has dipped in recent weeks, and he has drawn criticism from many fans over a perceived lack of effort.
Salah Struggles for Form in New-Look Liverpool Side
Salah blazed a trail of destruction across the Premier League last season. He scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists to fire Liverpool to the title.
That allowed Salah to dominate the individual honours. He won the Golden Boot, the Premier League Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year awards.
The fans were naturally delighted when he signed a new contract, but the goals and assists have dried up since then. His struggles actually date back to the end of last season – he only scored twice in his final 11 appearances.
Arne Slot then overhauled the squad in the summer, and he has struggled to form an effective unit out of his expensively assembled troops. Salah only managed four goals in his opening 13 games, and that haul included a penalty against Burnley and a deflected free-kick against Atlético Madrid.
He’s also taken flak for not tracking back enough. That’s never been much of an issue when he’s banging in goals for fun, but his low defensive output is now under intense scrutiny since he’s lost his scoring touch.
There has been a great deal of speculation about what’s caused Salah’s dip in form. These are some of the main theories, many of which are perfectly valid:
- He’s grieving the tragic death of his friend and teammate, Diogo Jota. Grief hits everyone differently, and it may have taken a major toll on Salah.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold is no longer pinging long balls forward to him, starving him of a crucial supply route.
- New signing Florian Wirtz has often occupied the spaces Salah normally gets into, causing congestion in that area of the pitch.
- He’s taking it easy after securing a lucrative new contract (this doesn’t seem like a valid theory).
Yet it could simply be that Father Time is catching up with Salah. He’s now 33 years old, an age at which many pro footballers retire. Perhaps he can no longer be expected to produce all-action displays every few days for Liverpool.
Salah’s Absence Could be a Blessing in Disguise
If that’s the case, it will be interesting to see how Liverpool fare without him. Salah’s absence opens up a number of intriguing possibilities.
First, Jeremie Frimpong could be deployed as a right-sided forward. He’s been poor at right-back, but he looks terrific going forward.
Federico Chiesa could also be given his first real run of games in the first team, giving him a chance to replicate the form he displayed for Juventus. He’ll be desperate to break into Italy’s World Cup 2026 squad, so he should be highly motivated.
Another option would be to go with a 4-4-2 formation, with new signings Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike both up front. Slot could then deploy Joe Gomez at right-back and Frimpong further up the pitch, which might shore up the defence.
Either way, Salah’s impending absence no longer seems like the devastating blow that we may have expected at the start of the campaign.
Liverpool might be tougher to break down if they aren’t carrying a forward who doesn’t track back much. They could even end up with a more balanced attack, which gets the most out of Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz.
If the Reds can thrive without him, Salah may find it hard to get back into the team when he returns from Morocco.
