Liverpool to Lose Salah to AFCON, Says Manager

Liverpool manager Arne Slot says the club must quickly adapt to life without Mohamed Salah, as the forward prepares to leave for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations amid a rare dip in form and growing selection pressure.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted the club is entering a crucial phase as star forward Mohamed Salah prepares to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in mid-December. The development comes at a time when the Egyptian is struggling for form and was dropped from a Premier League match for the first time since April 2024.

Salah, who scored 29 league goals last season to win the Golden Boot, has found the net only four times in the Premier League this term. Liverpool recently suffered nine defeats in 12 matches across all competitions, prompting Slot to make bold changes, including naming Salah on the bench for Sunday’s 2–0 win over West Ham.

Slot said it was a “fair assumption” that Salah was unhappy about being an unused substitute at London Stadium. “That’s a normal reaction from a player that’s good enough to play for us, and I say that mildly because he has been so outstanding for this club for so many years and will be for the future,” Slot said.

“He wasn’t the only one who wasn’t happy that he wasn’t starting and that is normal,” he added.

Slot praised Salah for how he handled the situation. “He handled himself really well,” he said. “He is so disciplined – he knows what to do to stay fit. No matter if he plays well or if he doesn’t play well, if he plays or doesn’t play, he will always be that top professional and that’s what he was in the last two days.”

Slot also reminded supporters that even top players go through difficult phases. “With all players around their world, there are also phases in your time at the club that they are human. He’s scored so many goals for us and I am sure he will in the future.”

Liverpool must now confront the bigger challenge of losing Salah to international duty. Slot confirmed that Salah will leave for Afcon on 15 December, meaning his last Liverpool game before the tournament is expected to be on 13 December against Brighton. If Egypt reach the final on 18 January 2026, Salah will not return to Merseyside until at least 19 January.

This timeline means he could miss seven matches, including the crucial clash with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on 8 January. Slot said preparations are underway to cope without him. “We have to find a way to play without him because he won’t be here,” he said.

Liverpool sit eighth in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Arsenal, adding pressure on Slot to stabilise the season. The team hosts sixth-placed Sunderland on Wednesday before travelling to struggling Leeds on Saturday.

Sunderland, managed by Regis Le Bris, are above Liverpool in the table and are hoping for their first league win at Anfield since 1983. Liverpool have also lost their past two home games, increasing the importance of Wednesday’s fixture. Slot declined to say whether Salah would be rotated or benched again before he joins Egypt, but he acknowledged the forward’s disappointment at West Ham.

Source: BBC Sports