Liverpool awaits FIFA decision regarding timing of Mohamed Salah’s release for AFCON

Gilabola.com – Liverpool is waiting for FIFA’s decision regarding when Mohamed Salah should be released to the Egyptian national team for the African Cup of Nations, while the match schedule is scheduled Communists in December it is threatened with disruption.

The terms of release two weeks before the tournament means that Salah could potentially miss important matches, including against Inter Milan and Brighton, while also ensuring that he cannot appear in the Christmas series of matches.

The Africa Cup of Nations tournament will start on December 21, while Egypt plays its first match the day after. However, the Egyptian national team wants Salah to join early to take part in the training camp before the competition starts.

Egypt is actually also appearing in the Arab Cup which starts on December 2, but Liverpool is not obliged to release Salah for that event. The Egyptian national team also chose to use an alternative squad in the competition.

It’s just that the main squad will have a test match against Nigeria on December 7, and the Egyptian coach wants Salah to be present. Liverpool hopes to continue using his services until the Premier League match against Brighton on December 13.

FIFA is expected to implement player release rules two weeks before the tournament, making December 7 the deadline. If that happens, Salah will miss Inter Milan on December 9 as well as the match against Brighton.

Liverpool have certainly lost Salah for the matches against Tottenham, Wolves and Leeds during the Christmas period. The duration of his absence could increase depending on how far Egypt goes in the African Cup of Nations.

Performance Impact and Legend Response

This situation comes in a difficult season for Salah. The 33-year-old striker has only scored four goals from open play throughout the 2025-26 season, far from his best productivity last season.

However, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes that eliminating Salah is not a solution. He said that he thought options other than Salah did not provide better guarantees and that leaving out senior players could actually send a negative message to the squad.

Gerrard also believes that Liverpool’s current condition requires an experienced figure like Salah, especially after the heavy defeat to PSV which sparked widespread criticism of the team’s performance.

Arne Slot now has to consider various scenarios without Salah, including rearranging the composition of the attack line in the busy December schedule. Salah’s absence opens up the possibility of changing roles for other forward players.

Liverpool also have to anticipate the long-term impact if Egypt goes far in the tournament, which could potentially mean Salah will miss up to nine matches. This makes the management and coaching team wait for FIFA’s decision with its own tension.

Despite his declining performance, Salah remains a key player for Liverpool. The uncertainty of his release schedule is a big issue ahead of a busy period that could affect the team’s momentum.

The club hopes that an official decision will come out soon so that Arne Slot can formulate a more definite strategy. Until now, Liverpool is still waiting for final confirmation from FIFA regarding the mandatory release date for the striker.