Mohamed Salah is not expected to feature in Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League encounter against Olympique Marseille on January 21, regardless of whether Egypt reaches the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) or not.
The forward has guided Egypt into the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations following a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday evening.
Salah has already missed Liverpool’s last five matches due to his involvement at AFCON. During that period, Arne Slot’s side recorded victories over Tottenham and Wolverhampton, while drawing against Leeds United, Fulham and Arsenal.
According to Liverpool.com, Egypt’s qualification for the semi-finals guarantees that Salah’s absence from Liverpool will extend into the coming weeks. The forward will miss Monday evening’s FA Cup round-of-64 tie against Barnsley and will also be unavailable for the Premier League clash with Burnley next Saturday.
The report further explained that Salah will miss the Burnley fixture regardless of whether Egypt advance to the final or are involved in the third-place playoff.
In addition, Salah is unlikely to be ready in time for Liverpool’s Champions League encounter against Olympique Marseille on Wednesday, January 21, in the seventh round of the league stage.
Even if he returns to Merseyside before the match, his involvement remains in doubt due to limited recovery and preparation time.
Arne Slot may therefore opt to leave Salah on the bench against Marseille, with the Egyptian star expected to return from international duty without sufficient time to regain full match fitness, whether he features in the AFCON final on January 18 or the third-place match a day earlier.
