Fortunately for Liverpool, Mo Salah will still be at the club next season—a relief for fans, especially after uncertainty around his future was put to rest when he signed a two-year contract extension in April.
The Egyptian forward had a phenomenal 2024/25 season, finishing as the Premier League’s top scorer with 29 goals, playing a crucial role in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign under Arne Slot. With the fixture list for the new season now confirmed, the club can begin preparations—including for Salah’s upcoming absence due to international duty.
Salah will be unavailable during the festive period because of Egypt’s participation in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will begin just before Christmas and run until mid-January—earlier than in previous years, when it typically started after New Year.
When is AFCON 2025?
Egypt kick off their AFCON campaign against Zimbabwe on 22 December, followed by matches against South Africa on 26 December (Boxing Day) and Angola on 29 December. If they progress past the group stage, they’ll play in the round of 16 on either 3, 4, or 5 January, with quarter-finals on 9–10 January, semi-finals on 14 January, and the final set for 18 January.
As the third-highest-ranked team in the tournament, Egypt are expected to reach the latter stages, meaning Salah could be away for a significant chunk of Liverpool’s season.
Which Liverpool matches will Salah miss?
Although Egypt’s first match is on 22 December, Salah will likely join the national team at least a week earlier, meaning he’ll definitely miss Liverpool’s final three league games of 2025: away to Tottenham and at home against Wolves and Leeds.
How many additional matches he misses depends on Egypt’s progress. Should they reach the quarter-finals or beyond, Salah will also be unavailable for early January away games at Fulham and Arsenal. If Egypt go all the way to the semi-finals or final, he will likely miss the home fixture against Burnley on 17 January as well. His first league game back could then be against Bournemouth the following weekend.
Confirmed absences: Tottenham (A), Wolves (H), Leeds (H)
Probable absences: Fulham (A), Arsenal (A)
Possible absence: Burnley (H)
All in all, it’s not the worst stretch of games for Liverpool to be without their star forward, although his presence would certainly be missed—especially for the trip to Arsenal. With any luck, he’ll return in top form and continue his excellent goal-scoring run, helping the Reds stay ahead in the title race.
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