Salah’s Return and Future at Liverpool Amid AFCON Duties

Mohamed Salah was initially omitted from Liverpool’s squad for their Champions League match against Inter Milan, which they won 1-0 thanks to a late penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai. However, the 33-year-old rejoined the squad for the subsequent 2-0 victory over Brighton after publicly apologizing for remarks made following a draw at Elland Road, where he came off the bench to assist Hugo Ekitike’s second goal.

After the match against Brighton, Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, asserted that all involved had ‘moved on’ from the incident at Leeds. “I stated last week that actions speak louder than words,” Slot mentioned. “We have moved past it. He was included in the squad and I made him the first substitution. Now, with the Africa Cup of Nations approaching, it is only fair that we focus on those upcoming games for Egypt.”

This match marked Salah’s final appearance for Liverpool before he joins the Egyptian national team for the Africa Cup of Nations. Many speculated that this could potentially be Salah’s last game for the club amid rumors of a January transfer.

However, with Alexander Isak sidelined for an extended period due to injury, Salah is now anticipated to remain at Anfield until the season’s conclusion. Nonetheless, Liverpool may be without one of their key players until mid-January, especially if Egypt advances far into the tournament in Morocco.

In their opening match, Salah shone for Egypt, scoring the decisive goal in a comeback victory against Zimbabwe, securing a late 2-1 win. With Salah focused on his international duties, Liverpool’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, is expected to engage in critical discussions with Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas, during this period. Salah has been linked to a move to the Saudi Pro League, with speculation regarding a transfer in January or the summer of 2026.

Omar Mugharbel, the chief executive of the Saudi Pro League, confirmed interest in Salah from various clubs, stating, “Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that must negotiate with the players. He is certainly one of our targets.”

Currently, it is expected that Salah will remain with Liverpool until the end of the season after the club confirmed Isak had suffered a fractured ankle during a match against Tottenham. Isak, who had just replaced Conor Bradley, scored shortly after the break but sustained his injury during a challenge by Spurs defender Micky van de Ven. Slot criticized this tackle as ‘reckless,’ noting the long recovery ahead for Isak and the disappointment it brings to the team.

Following surgery, Isak expressed gratitude to fans for their support via social media, asserting, “I am gutted to be out for a while. Time to recover and support from the sideline. I will work hard to be back as soon as I possibly can. Thank you to all Reds and everyone else for the kind messages—it does not go unnoticed.”

Liverpool’s recent win against Tottenham extended their unbeaten streak to six matches, with three consecutive victories across all competitions. Slot’s team will be looking to capitalize on this momentum when they host struggling Wolves this weekend.