Liverpool star set to miss key clash in major Premier League title blow amid Arsenal race

Arsenal hold an eight point gap over Arne Slot's team at the top of the Premier League table with Liverpool handed another potential blow in the race.

Liverpool could be without key man Mohamed Salah earlier than expected as the forward prepares to represent Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The absence could be a big blow to his side’s hopes of closing the gap to Arsenal at the top of the table between now and the end of the season. The Gunners are currently eight points ahead of the reigning champions, who are in eighth place.

Salah will be one of several Premier League players missing domestic action over the Christmas and New Year period.

The Liverpool Echo report that Egypt now want the player to join up with the national team for a mid-December friendly. If that does happen, it means he will miss the Premier League home fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion on December 13 on top of the games he will miss due to the tournament.

While he has not hit the heights of last season, his absence is still likely to be felt by Arne Slot’s men.

In total Salah could miss up to six matches, depending on his side’s progress in Morocco. A group stage exit could mean that he is back in time for the New Year’s Day home game against Leeds United.

The tournament runs from December 21 to January 18. Therefore, success would see him away from Anfield and Premier League action for longer, meaning he could miss the crucial clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on January 8.

Unlike Liverpool, Arsenal will not have to worry about players being away at the tournament, with none of the Gunners’ stars part of squads who have qualified.

Over the Christmas and New Year period, Arsenal face Everton Crystal Palace in the League Cup quarter-final, Brighton, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Liverpool.

The update over Salah comes after pundit Danny Murphy hit out at Slot for his use of the forward this season, following the 3-0 defeat against Manchester City before the international break.

"Giving Salah the license to not defend against a left-back who loves going forward and isn’t even a left-back in O’Reilly, who has been brilliant recently, I couldn’t believe what I was watching to be honest," Murphy told talkSPORT. "I don’t know how he (Slot) can keep watching the same thing and not change it.

"And it’s not like Salah can’t do the running, he hasn’t asked him to see if he can. He doesn’t have to do it every single time, but he has spent so long not doing it.

"Last season, Salah came out and said he was enjoying it more because he doesn’t have to defend as much as he did with [Jurgen] Klopp. But it’s just time and time again, and I don’t think he needs to be dropped because he’s such a threat, but I think you’ve got to tell him to defend."