Why Mohamed Salah won't make immediate return to Liverpool despite Egypt's AFCON knockout by Sadio Mane's Senegal - explained

A cagy contest in Tangiers was settled when Mane lashed in a low finish from the edge of the box with 12 minutes left on the clock to give Senegal a deserved lead. They will face the winners of the other semi-final, hosts Morocco, in the showpiece in Rabat on Sunday.

Salah had scored four times en route to the last four, but Egypt's talisman was kept quiet by the Senegalese backline. The defeat means his hopes of winning a first-ever continental title have been snuffed out once again and he is now set to head back to his club.

However, Salah won't make an immediate return to Anfield. That is because Egypt will have to contest the third-place playoff against Nigeria on Saturday afternoon - notoriously a match that no-one ever really wants to be involved in. There is the possibility that a big name like Salah will be released early from national team duty, but the likelihood is that he will remain unavailable to Liverpool for the time being.

That means that Salah is set to miss Liverpool's Premier League clash with Burnley on Saturday afternoon, and you would imagine that the Champions League trip to Marseille on Wednesday, January 21, may also come too soon when you factor in travel and recovery time. The winger is therefore most likely to make his comeback when the Reds visit Bournemouth in the late kick-off on Saturday, January 24. According to liverpool.com, his club are respectful of the fact he has another match to focus on with his country and won't rush him back.

Salah's return to English shores may well bring his future at Liverpool back into sharp focus. The dust has now settled, but before he headed to AFCON in December the 33-year-old spoke out against head coach Arne Slot, sensationally claiming he had been "thrown under the bus" having been dropped amid the Reds' struggle for form. He was subsequently left at home for the Champions League meeting with Inter in Italy, returning to the fold for a farewell appearance against Brighton ahead of jetting off for the tournament in Morocco.

With the January transfer window now open, it will be interesting to see whether the Merseysiders receive any proposals, with the moneyed Saudi Pro League openly keen on bringing the Egyptian in.