Mohamed Salah, Getty Images December 02, 2025, 11:00 p.m

Mohamed Salah will be a key loss for Liverpool during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco from December 21 to January 18.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot confirmed that Salah will join the Egyptian national team on December 15. Egypt is guaranteed to play at least three group stage matches, the last one against Angola on December 29. The team will also compete against South Africa and Zimbabwe. The wide format of the tournament means that even a third-place finish could put the Egyptians in the playoffs, further prolonging the club’s lack of a star forward.

As reported ESPNSalah will miss the Premier League matches against Tottenham (December 20) and Wolverhampton (December 27) and may not play against Brighton (December 13). If Egypt reaches the round of 16, Liverpool will not be able to count on their leader in the matches against Leeds (January 1), Fulham (January 4) and Arsenal (January 8).

If Egypt progress to the quarter-finals or beyond, Salah could also miss the home match against Burnley on January 17. The semi-finals and the match for the third place of the CAN will take place during this period.

The return of the Egyptian is expected only after the end of the tournament. Liverpool’s next match after the Cannes final is a Champions League match against Marseille on January 21.