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Mohamed Salah has once again been omitted from a matchday squad. However, the circumstances are far less dramatic than his recent exclusion from Liverpool's travelling team for their journey to Inter Milan.
Salah has been absent from the Reds' starting line-up in recent weeks, with his last start being in the 4-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven at the end of last month. Arne Slot subsequently relegated the forward to the bench for his side's matches against West Ham United, Sunderland and Leeds United.
While the 33 year old was brought on at half-time against Sunderland, he remained on the bench for the games against both the Hammers and Leeds. After Liverpool conceded a last-gasp equaliser in the latter match, Salah caused a stir when he stopped in the mixed zone after the game to express his dissatisfaction with his current situation.
The Egyptian star criticised Slot and the club, stating that his relationship with his head coach had completely deteriorated, that he felt he was being 'thrown under the bus', and even hinted that last weekend's match against Brighton and Hove Albion could be his final appearance for the club.
He was subsequently left out of the squad for the trip to Inter Milan, but was recalled to the Reds' team for the clash with the Seagulls following amicable discussions with Slot on Friday.
Despite only making it to the bench against Brighton, Salah still had a significant impact after coming on halfway through the first half. In an energetic performance, he set up Hugo Ekitike for Liverpool's second goal in their 2-0 victory, breaking the record for most goal contributions for a single club in Premier League history.
Regardless of his disagreement with Slot, the match against Brighton was always going to be the Egyptian's final appearance for the Reds this year due to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah is poised to lead Egypt at this year's tournament in Morocco and has now joined his international colleagues.
However, after missing Monday's training session, it was no surprise that he wasn't included in the Pharaohs' squad for their warm-up friendly against Nigeria on Tuesday night. As a result, his absence from a starting XI for both club and country now extends to his last six matches.
That will almost certainly change next week when the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off. Egypt will begin their campaign on Monday against Zimbabwe, before facing South Africa on Boxing Day. Their final group game is against Angola on Monday, December 29.
Salah will miss Liverpool's fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves as a result, and would likely also be absent for Leeds' visit to Anfield on New Year's Day even if Egypt were knocked out in the group stage.
If the Pharaohs advance in the tournament, with the final scheduled for 18 January, Salah could potentially miss an additional five club matches. Liverpool have away games against Fulham and Arsenal, followed by home fixtures against Barnsley and Burnley, before their second-to-last Champions League group stage match at Marseille on 21 January.
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