Salah’s Surprise Absence Explained Ahead of Liverpool’s Showdown with Man United

The Premier League makes its return this weekend with one of the season’s standout fixtures as Manchester United travel to Anfield on Sunday.

 

Both teams are in desperate need of a win—not only for bragging rights but also to regain momentum. United boss Ruben Amorim is already feeling the pressure following a shaky start to the campaign, while Liverpool endured a miserable run before the international break, losing three consecutive games. Much of the criticism has been directed at their star players, including Mohamed Salah, who has found the net only once from open play in the league so far.

 

However, Salah has an impressive record against United, having scored 16 goals in this fixture—more than any other opponent. Reds fans are eager to see their talisman back at his best but were left concerned when he missed Egypt’s 1–0 win over Guinea-Bissau last Sunday.

 

The 33-year-old captain’s absence surprised many, as he remains Egypt’s most influential player. But Liverpool supporters can breathe easy—head coach Hossam Hassan confirmed that Salah, along with several other key players, was simply rested.

 

Egypt had already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup after a 3–0 win over Djibouti, a game in which Salah scored twice. With nothing at stake against Guinea-Bissau, Hassan opted to rotate his squad heavily.

 

Salah, who watched from the stands and later joined in the celebrations, is now just seven goals shy of becoming Egypt’s all-time leading scorer—a record currently held by his international manager.

 

“It’s a great honour to reach the World Cup both as a player and as a coach,” Hassan said. “We did a fantastic job in qualifying because we have excellent players. I asked the team to win for the fans who came to celebrate. Salah is a treasure for Egypt—an intelligent, professional, and truly great player. To me, he’s like a younger brother or eldest son.”

 

Before next summer’s World Cup, Salah will aim to guide Egypt to glory at the Africa Cup of Nations—a tournament that will see him miss several crucial Liverpool matches over the Christmas period.