Liverpool will be without Mohamed Salah at the start of 2024 due to the Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Ivory Coast.
No strangers to losing players during this period, the Reds struggled in the absence of Sadio Mane at the 2017 AFCON and were without Naby Keita, Mane and Salah during the middle of the 2021/22 season as Jurgen Klopp's challenged for the quadruple. Liverpool were not as affected during the 2019 tournament as this took place during the summer.
The 2024 edition was initially due to be hosted this summer, though the Confederation of African Football (CAF) took the decision to change the start date to January 13th 2024 due to concerns over extreme heat had the games been staged during June and July.
AFCON will take place between January 13 - February 11 2024 and will therefore force Liverpool to cope without Salah during this period. There is a chance the Reds' talisman could return before February 11, the date of the final, depending on how Egypt fare in the competition.
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Regarding games the 31-year-old could miss, this all depends on when Salah decides to link up with his international team-mates ahead of the tournament start date. The FA Cup third round always takes place during the first weekend of the New Year, ensuring games are set to be held on January 6/7 2024, one week prior to the start of AFCON. Whether or not the Egyptian would be risked for this fixture remains to be seen, as would be the case for the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg that would be contested days later - provided Liverpool make it to this stage of the cup they claimed in 2022.
A Premier League fixture with Bournemouth is currently scheduled for January 13, the date AFCON begins, though this fixture could be moved to the following week due to the winter break in the top flight. Either way, Salah will miss this game and possibly three other league matches.
Below is a breakdown of the games the prolific forward could be out of action for, depending on the Reds' progression in cup competitions.
FA Cup third round - January 6/7
Carabao Cup semi-final first leg - w/c 8 January 2024
January 13 - Bournemouth (A)- *This fixture is subject to change to the weekend of January 20th due to the PL mid-season break
January 13- 20 - Mid-season break
Carabao Cup semi-final second leg - w/c 21 January 2024
January 31 - Chelsea (H)
February 3 - Arsenal (A)
February 10 - Burnley (H)
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