Why Mohamed Salah Has Been Omitted From Egypt Squad but Will Still Feature at AFCON

Mohamed Salah has once again been left out of a matchday squad, although the reasons behind his absence are far less controversial than those surrounding his recent omission from Liverpool’s travelling party for their Champions League trip to Inter Milan.

The Liverpool forward has found himself out of the starting XI in recent weeks, with his most recent start coming in the club’s 4–1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven at the end of last month. Since then, head coach Arne Slot has named Salah among the substitutes for Premier League fixtures against West Ham United, Sunderland and Leeds United.

The 33-year-old was introduced at half-time during the draw with Sunderland but remained unused in the matches against West Ham and Leeds. Following Liverpool’s late concession against Leeds, Salah drew attention after stopping in the mixed zone to openly express his frustration over his reduced role.

The Egypt international voiced concerns about his relationship with Slot, claiming it had completely broken down. He suggested he felt unfairly treated by the club and hinted that Liverpool’s recent clash with Brighton & Hove Albion could mark his final appearance for the Reds.

In the aftermath of those comments, Salah was excluded from Liverpool’s squad for their trip to Inter Milan. However, he was reinstated for the Brighton fixture after what were described as positive and constructive talks with Slot later in the week.

Although he began the match on the bench, Salah made an immediate impact after being introduced early in the first half. His lively display saw him assist Hugo Ekitike for Liverpool’s second goal in a 2–0 victory, a contribution that also saw him set a new Premier League record for the most goal involvements for a single club.

Irrespective of his club situation, the Brighton match was always expected to be Salah’s final appearance for Liverpool in 2025 due to his international commitments at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah is set to captain Egypt at the tournament, which will be staged in Morocco, and has now linked up with the national team squad. After missing a training session on Monday, it came as little surprise that he was not included in the Pharaohs’ line-up for their pre-tournament friendly against Nigeria on Tuesday evening.

As a result, Salah’s absence from a starting XI at both club and international level has now extended to six consecutive matches. That situation is expected to change imminently, with the Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to get under way next week.

Egypt open their campaign against Zimbabwe on Monday, before facing South Africa on Boxing Day. Their final group-stage fixture will see them take on Angola on Monday, 29 December.

Salah will miss Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves due to his international duties. Even if Egypt were eliminated at the group stage, he would also be unlikely to return in time for Leeds United’s visit to Anfield on New Year’s Day.

Should the Pharaohs progress deep into the tournament, with the final scheduled for 18 January, Salah could be absent for up to five additional Liverpool matches. These include away trips to Fulham and Arsenal, home fixtures against Barnsley and Burnley, and Liverpool’s penultimate Champions League group-stage encounter away to Marseille on 21 January.