Liverpool will no longer be burdened by the fear of losing key players mid-way through the Premier League campaign thanks to a drastic change to the African Cup of Nations.
The tournament will now take place in the summer months following the end of the season having previously taken place in January and February, The Confederation of African Football has confirmed.
This thereby means Liverpool will no longer lose Sadio Mane in the same way they did following the turn of the year, when the forward left to compete for Senegal.
These adjustments will be music to the ears of not only fans but also Jurgen Klopp’s men, who suffered a significant dip in form during the winger’s absence.
Summer signing and Egyptian international Mohamed Salah will also benefit from the rescheduling as a player many deem to be capable of having a similar impact to Mane and therefore becoming integral to Liverpool’s attacking approach.
Speaking at a press conference in Hong Kong, Klopp said: “It’s fantastic. When we signed Salah we thought ‘oh my god’ we’ll lose 2 in winter time. Now we won’t lose them.”
The next tournament is set to take place across June and July in 2019.
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