Fortunately, Mo Salah will remain a Liverpool player next season, which wasn’t guaranteed until he signed a new two-year deal in April.
The Egyptian forward was the Premier League’s top scorer in the 2024/25 season, netting 29 goals and playing a key role in Liverpool’s dominant title win. With the new season’s fixtures revealed on Wednesday morning, Arne Slot’s team now knows their schedule.
One challenge Liverpool will face during the busy festive period is Salah’s absence due to Egypt’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). This year, the tournament starts just before Christmas and runs through mid-January, unlike previous editions that began after the New Year.
When is the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations?
Egypt’s first match in the 35th AFCON will be against Zimbabwe on 22 December. They’ll then face South Africa on Boxing Day and Angola three days later.
If Egypt advance beyond the group stage, their round-of-16 game will be on 3rd, 4th, or 5th January. Quarter-finals follow on the 9th and 10th, semi-finals on the 14th, and the final on the 18th.
As the third highest-ranked team in the tournament, Egypt is expected to progress deep into the competition.
Which Liverpool games will Salah miss because of AFCON 2025?
Although Egypt’s first game is on 22 December, the squad will likely gather at least a week prior, meaning Salah will miss Liverpool’s last three Premier League matches of 2025: away at Tottenham, and home games against Wolves and Leeds.
The number of matches he misses in January depends on Egypt’s progress. If they reach the quarter-finals, Salah will also miss two away games in London against Fulham and Arsenal in early 2026.
If Egypt make it to the semi-finals or beyond, Salah will still be competing in Morocco when Liverpool host Burnley on 17 January. His first Premier League game of the new year might then be an away match at Bournemouth the following weekend.
Confirmed to miss: Tottenham (A), Wolves (H), Leeds (H)
Likely to miss: Fulham (A), Arsenal (A)
Potentially miss: Burnley (H)
Overall, it’s not the worst set of fixtures Liverpool could face without Salah, though the club will hope to have him back in time for the crucial trip to Arsenal in early January.
Ideally, he’ll continue his impressive goal-scoring form from 2024/25, helping Liverpool maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League!
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