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Liverpool may lose Mohamed Salah to the Africa Cup of Nations earlier than expected, with Egypt confirming talks are underway about the winger being released ahead of the tournament.
Salah will captain his nation in Morocco next month, with the competition getting underway on December 21, and Egypt’s opening game against Zimbabwe following a day later.
With the final taking place on January 18, Liverpool could end up losing Salah for an extended period, which may see him miss a crucial Premier League game against Arsenal as well as the Reds’ opening FA Cup fixture - and there is the possibility he could be on his way to Morocco earlier than anticipated.
Egypt’s national team director Ibrahim Hassan has confirmed that talks are taking place with both Liverpool and Manchester City about Salah and Omar Marmoush being made available for a friendly against Nigeria on December 14.
“We are still in contact with Liverpool and Manchester City at the moment regarding this matter,” Hassan told WinWin.
Salah had been expected to make his way to Morocco after Liverpool’s game against Brighton on December 13, but if he is to play against Nigeria, he would end up missing that game.
The 33-year-old is currently set to miss at least three games for the Reds, with Liverpool facing Tottenham on December 20, Wolves on December 27 and Leeds United on January 1.
Egypt’s final group game takes place on December 29 against Angola, and should it make it all the way to the final, Salah could also end up missing games against Fulham, Arsenal, Burnley and Marseille, as well as an FA Cup third-round tie on the weekend of January 10.
The friendly against Nigeria could also put Salah’s involvement against Inter Milan on December 9 in some doubt, depending on when Egypt would expect him to report for duty.
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Salah is set to return to Liverpool in the coming days following the conclusion of the November international break.
The winger played the full 90 minutes of Egypt’s 2-0 defeat to Uzbekistan in the Al Ain International Cup on Friday, but won’t be involved in the third-place play-off against Cape Verde on Monday.
Salah will remain with his international teammates in Dubai, despite having been given a rest from training ahead of the clash with Cape Verde, although his absence is not expected to affect his availability for Liverpool’s game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
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