Liverpool and Egypt may be headed for a dispute over AFCON, with Mo Salah’s preference now clear.

Mohamed Salah may soon be at the centre of a battle between Liverpool and the Egyptian national team.

The 33-year-old is expected to miss Liverpool’s busy winter period because he’ll be competing at the Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from 21 December to 18 January. Egypt are considered one of the tournament favourites, meaning Salah could be away for an extended spell. Reports in Egypt recently claimed that coach Hossam Hassan wants his players to meet for a training camp two weeks before AFCON starts — potentially limiting Salah’s availability even further.

Salah wants to stay with Liverpool as long as possible

According to Mail Sport journalist Lewis Steele, Salah is scheduled to speak with Hassan next week in hopes of finding a compromise that suits both sides.

Under tournament rules, Egypt can officially request the Liverpool star two weeks before AFCON kicks off. If that happens, Salah would miss Liverpool’s Champions League trip to Inter Milan on 9 December and the Premier League game against Brighton on 13 December.

Salah’s preference, however, is to play those matches before joining his national team. With Liverpool now out of the Carabao Cup, the schedule leaves a rare free midweek after the Brighton fixture.

How many matches might he miss?

The best-case scenario for Liverpool is that Salah stays for the Inter and Brighton games and Egypt exit early, allowing him to return around the New Year’s Day match against Leeds (though that would still be tight).

The worst-case scenario — arriving early for the full training camp and Egypt progressing to the final stages — could see him miss up to eight Liverpool fixtures, including away games against Tottenham and Arsenal.

This will be the third time Salah leaves mid-season for AFCON. While there were no problems in 2021, the 2023 tournament (played in January 2024) ended in controversy when he returned to Liverpool early due to injury, upsetting fans in Egypt. His recovery was slow and Liverpool’s title challenge faded afterward.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot will be desperate to avoid a repeat, and the hope is that Egypt and Salah can agree on a plan that keeps everyone satisfied.