Liverpool Echo
Liverpool are about to be given a brief taste of life without Mohamed Salah.
The chances are they won’t like it.
With the Africa Cup of Nations currently going ahead as planned, the Egyptian is set to depart for Cameroon in January, along with Sadio Mane and Naby Keita, leaving the Reds to press ahead with their Premier League title challenge without him.
Jurgen Klopp’s side might have been scoring goals for fun so far this season, while it might ‘only’ be Brentford and Crystal Palace who stand in their path in the Premier League during the continental tournament, but lining up without the division’s top goalscorer is still a big blow.
Throw in the fact that the 29-year-old could also find himself ruled out of Liverpool’s trip to his former club Chelsea, depending on how merciful Egypt are feeling, and his absence would be felt even more keenly.
With a two-legged League Cup semi-final clash, an FA Cup third round meeting with Shrewsbury Town and a potential fourth round tie in the mix too, Salah’s hopes of domestic silverware this year will, in January, rest in the hands of his team-mates.
The forward had undoubtedly been the standout player in world football so far this campaign, and looks an early favourite for next season’s Ballon d’Or with the Africa Cup of Nations giving him an early platform to stake his claim, after only a lack of silverware really held him back as he was ranked a disappointing seventh for this year’s award.
And it is that newfound status, usurping the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, that is creating such anxiety about his January departure to the Africa Cup of Nations as Klopp’s side look to keep the pace with Man City in the Premier League title race.
Liverpool fans will struggle to remember a time without Salah, with him only missing seven Premier League matches in his four and a half seasons with the club, and only coming on as a substitute in seven of his 163 Premier League appearances for the Reds.
It’s a similar story in the Champions League too, with him missing just one of the 52 continental games Liverpool have played in his time at the club – the Reds’ famous 4-0 victory over Barcelona in May 2019…
