![\"Mohamed](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_GettyImages-2209815248.jpg\")
Liverpool will lose Mohamed Salah midway through the 2025\/26 season (Image: Ed Sykes\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nMohamed Salah has signed up for another two years at Liverpool, but the club will have to negotiate a familiar problem during a crucial stage of the 2025\/26 campaign<\/p>\n
10:00, 16 Apr 2025Updated 10:01, 16 Apr 2025<\/p>\n
Liverpool will lose Mohamed Salah midway through the 2025\/26 season (Image: Ed Sykes\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Liverpool are still buzzing with the excitement of tying Mohamed Salah<\/a> down to a new contract, but the fresh terms won\u2019t prevent one familiar problem. The club confirmed last week<\/a> that Salah has put pen to paper on a new deal, which is understood to run until June 2027<\/a>, ensuring another two years of output from the Egyptian.<\/p>\n Salah is enjoying his best ever campaign with Liverpool<\/a>, with 32 goals and 23 assists in 46 games across all competitions so far. As well as lifting the Premier League<\/a> title, he is set to win the Golden Boot, having already broken Thierry Henry\u2019s record<\/a> with his 45th goal involvement on the weekend.<\/p>\n The 32-year-old chose to stay in part due to the progress the team is making under Arne Slot<\/a>\u2019s management. \u201cI signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football,” he said. \u201cIt\u2019s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it\u2019s going to be 10.\u201d<\/p>\n If they are to win more trophies in the 2025\/26 season then Liverpool will have to overcome a familiar problem: the Africa Cup of Nations<\/a>. The Reds are used to losing Salah<\/a> \u2013 and previously Sadio Mane \u2013 every two years midway through the season as they head off to represent their country.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister’s dad sets record straight on Real Madrid transfer links<\/a>READ MORE: Liverpool discover target’s release clause after leaving ‘big impression’ on Arne Slot<\/a><\/p>\n Salah missed five games last season after heading off to the Ivory Coast to play for Egypt. To make matters worse, he then picked up a hamstring injury while on international duty, which cost him a further seven matches for Liverpool, while he also struggled to rediscover his best form once back available.<\/p>\n Injuries cannot be helped, but AFCON is certain to provide a serious disruption next season because it has moved from its regular slot of January-February to December and January. Taking place in Morocco, it will run from December 21 until January 18, having been moved from this summer so it doesn\u2019t clash with the inaugural edition of FIFA\u2019s controversial expanded Club World Cup<\/a>, which runs from June 15 and July 13 in the United States.<\/p>\n That isn\u2019t an issue for many European leagues, which have a winter break, but could be problematic for Premier League clubs with African players. Egypt have been drawn in Group B and have fixtures scheduled against Zimbabwe on December 22, South Africa on Boxing<\/a> Day and Angola in their final group game on December 29.<\/p>\n As the most successful team in AFCON history, with seven titles to their name, Egypt will expect to reach the latter stages of the tournament. The round-of-16 is scheduled to take place between January 3-6, the quarter-finals follow on January 9-10, the semi-finals on January 14, the third-place play-off on January 17 and the final is in Rabat on January 18.<\/p>\n The Premier League won\u2019t release its 2025\/26 fixtures until June 18, but the festive period is the busiest in the calendar, meaning Salah is certain to miss some important matches, depending on the schedule and Egypt\u2019s success in Morocco. But using Liverpool\u2019s schedule from this season as a guide, AFCON would overlap with eight games, including six in the Premier League.<\/p>\n Liverpool’s AFCON clash<\/p>\n AFCON 2025 dates<\/strong><\/p>\n Egypt’s group games:<\/p>\n December 22 vs Zimbabwe<\/p>\n December 26 vs South Africa<\/p>\n December 29 vs Angola<\/p>\n Round of 16 – January 3-6<\/p>\n Quarter-finals – January 9-10<\/p>\n Semi-finals – January 14<\/p>\n Third-place play-off – January 17<\/p>\n Final – January 18<\/p>\n Liverpool’s 2024\/25 fixtures to illustrate potential clash<\/strong><\/p>\n Southampton (Carabao Cup, December 18), Tottenham (Premier League, December 22), Leicester (Premier League, December 26), West Ham (Premier League, December 29), Manchester United (Premier League, January 5), Tottenham (Carabao Cup, January 8), Accrington Stanley (FA Cup, January 11), Nottingham Forest (Premier League, January 14), Brentford (Premier League, January 18), Lille (Champions League, January 21)<\/p>\n That tally would rise to 10 once the preceding fixture is included for travel time to the tournament as well as a game after the AFCON final for time to return and potentially rest.<\/p>\n Liverpool have plenty of experience of dealing with AFCON absences over recent years and will know that they have to plan for its impact. Slot knows how important squad depth is and will instruct sporting director Richard Hughes and his team to bring in back-up in the summer transfer window, to ensure Salah\u2019s absence doesn\u2019t derail their 2025\/25 season.<\/p>\n Join our new WhatsApp community<\/a> and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> \u00a343<\/p>\n \u00a335<\/p>\n Sky<\/p>\n![\"Mohamed](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_GettyImages-2206410143.jpg\")
Mohamed Salah will captain Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations(Image: Ayman Aref\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\")
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