Mohamed Salah set to miss key Premier League title clash for 2025 AFCON

Liverpool star Salah is in danger of missing a huge Premier League fixture against Arsenal in January due to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The two sides were rivals for the title throughout the 2024-25 season, though the Reds always held a dominant advantage and sealed top spot by late April.

The Premier League fixtures for next season were revealed on Wednesday morning, with Liverpool learning their schedule ahead of their title defence. The Reds were already aware Salah could miss as many as seven games due to AFCON, which runs from 21 December to 18 January, but the fact he could be absent for such a massive match will be of major concern to manager Arne Slot.

Salah is expected to be absent for a December clash with Tottenham and will definitely be out of the picture for encounters with Wolves, Leeds and Fulham moving into early January. If Egypt are knocked out in the group stages, Salah could return in time to face Arsenal, but it would be an extremely tight turnaround and his nation aren't expected to exit AFCON so quickly.

Salah is expected to feature in Liverpool's pre-season friendlies this summer, with games against AC Milan, Yokohama F. Marinos and Athletic Club on the horizon.