Everyone associated with Liverpool FC will welcome an update from the Egyptian FA regarding Mo Salah.
Although his country concluded their successful World Cup qualifying campaign last month, the 33-year-old has been involved with the Pharaohs during the current international break, playing the entirety of their 2-0 defeat to Uzbekistan on Friday.
Hossan Hassan’s side play Cape Verde in a friendly tomorrow as they continue preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which begins in just over a month’s time and will take the Reds winger away from his club for the Christmas and New Year period.
Salah won’t play for Egypt on Monday
Late on Saturday night, the Egyptian FA provided a series of squad updates ahead of Monday’s fixture against the shock African qualifiers for next summer’s World Cup.
Salah wasn’t among the two players who missed the team’s training session on Saturday due to injury, with it instead being stated that he will be given ‘a rest’ against Cape Verde as his ‘non-participation’ was confirmed.
Liverpool fans will welcome Egyptian FA’s update on Salah
The statement from Egypt will be greeted with enormous relief on Merseyside, with Liverpool’s number 11 remaining a vital figure in Arne Slot’s side despite criticism from some pundits who’ve called for him to be dropped from the starting XI.
His tally of five goals for the campaign so far is lower than what we’re used to seeing from the winger, who’s underperforming slightly on his xG of 5.2 (FBref), but there’s no disputing that he’ll be missed when he goes to AFCON next month.
At least his non-involvement against Cape Verde means that he’ll return to Merseyside unscathed this week, and the Reds will be relying on him to try and instigate a sustained upturn in form for the Premier League champions after a rough autumn.
Salah is set to miss Liverpool’s crunch visit to Arsenal on 8 January unless Egypt suffer a surprisingly early elimination from the African tournament, so there’s an opportunity for the likes of Federico Chiesa to enjoy a prolonged run of starts on the right flank over the festive period.
Until then, fingers crossed that our Egyptian King will return to his usual world-class levels and provide the sort of match-winning moments we’ve become so accustomed to seeing over the years.
You can watch Slot’s full post-Man City press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:
One would think that a side that regularly competes in the AfCon tournament could afford to have their best miss the odd international game against, with respect, weaker opposition, to keep himself fit and rested.
Maybe there’s been a bit of cooperation from the Reds to rest him as the AfCon draws nearer for the same reason and motive ?