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Liverpool may have to cope without Mohamed Salah for up to six weeks, with another club-versus-country row brewing. The Africa Cup of Nations is now just several weeks away, and the Reds are preparing for life after their influential superstar heads off. Salah will meet with Egypt manager Hossam Hassan next week to discuss his availability ahead of the tournament in Morocco, according to the Daily Mail. However, he is set to have to choose between staying at Anfield for a little while longer or joining up with his international teammates for a training camp and warm-up friendlies. His compatriots will play the United Arab Emirates on December 6, Jordan on December 9 and Nigeria on December 14, a whole fortnight before the AFCON actually begins, and Hassan is entitled to call up the forward. However, during the same period, Liverpool will face Leeds and Brighton in the Premier League and Inter Milan in the Champions League, and they unsurprisingly want Salah available for such a crucial period in the season. The brutal fact is that a decision in either direction would place him on an unavoidable collision course with Hassan or Arne Slot. Mohamed Salah Could Miss 11 Liverpool Matches Over the coming days, Liverpool and Egypt will likely have to reach a compromise on when Salah will be released from his club duties and allowed to travel to the AFCON, which starts on December 21 and runs through until January 18. Working under the assumption that Salah will be able to stay at Anfield until after the Brighton fixture on December 13, as per his wishes, he would miss an absolute maximum of eight matches for the Reds. Indeed, he would be absent for top-flight games against Tottenham, Wolves, Leeds, Fulham, Arsenal and Burnley, as well as a Champions League group phase trip to Marseille four days after the AFCON final. Should he need more time to rest, Salah could also sit out of the FA Cup third round in the second week of January. Were Egypt to go the distance in Morocco, Salah's Liverpool return may come against Bournemouth on January 24. Liverpool Have Negotiated With Egypt over Mohamed Salah Before Luckily for the talisman, Liverpool have a good track record of negotiating agreements with Egypt. Back in 2024, the forward was given permission to return early to his club after picking up an injury in a group stage match against Ghana. Awkwardly, Hassan had been working as a pundit during the tournament and vented his frustration at the decision, saying: "If Salah feels he wants to travel, he should travel and not return to the national team again because the injury is not severe; he needs physiotherapy which is available with the national team." He went on to add: "A hamstring injury does not require extensive facilities in Liverpool. Big clubs always send doctors and physical therapists with top players to these tournaments, and in Liverpool, they know if Salah needs something, they will send doctors to him. "Salah, with his great value, should continue with the national team both morally and psychologically. It affects other teams that he can participate at any time, but his departure will affect Egypt negatively and the opponents positively." Salah has also previously missed several international camps, including after a request for his call-up to be delayed was made two years ago, to allow him to rest. That led to uproar back home, with supporters even claiming it was their "right" to select him. Despite relations between Liverpool and Egypt seemingly improving since, the fractures may begin to open back up depending on the outcome of the player's discussions with Hassan. For now, both camps wait with bated breath.
