In the midst of a Premier League title race, losing Mohamed Salah for an extended length of time is the last thing Liverpool would have wanted.

But that is exactly the issue Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff will face as the 31-year-old prepares to compete in the latest edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). AFCON begins on January 13 and may keep Salah away until February 11 if Egypt reaches the tournament’s final.

Salah’s exit comes at a time when the Reds’ attacking alternatives have struggled to make an impact in the final third, necessitating others to step up. The return of Diogo Jota will help to alleviate this goal-scoring burden, and there is one other player who could emerge from the cold.

Due to a lack of playing time at RB Leipzig, Liverpool may recall Fabio Carvalho during the January transfer window. The Fulham academy graduate was loaned to the Bundesliga team for the whole season, but has only made a handful of substitute appearances in league and cup games.

Carvalho’s predicament is unlikely to change anytime soon, either, with Leipzig negotiating a deal for Napoli attacking midfielder Eljif Elmas, which would put him even lower down the German club’s pecking order.

The ECHO claimed earlier this month that Liverpool had held conversations about recalling Carvalho due to the player’s present predicament, which isn’t working out for both him and the Reds. A loan to another club for the second part of the current season is a major possibility, but Klopp may also consider keeping the 2021/22 Championship winner.

The kid showed glimpses of quality during his debut season on Merseyside, most notably in back-to-back games against Bournemouth and Newcastle in August 2022, when he scored in both games despite just coming off the bench on both occasions. Carvalho also stood out in a Carabao Cup defeat away at Manchester City in December of last year, responding almost immediately to Erling Haaland’s opener at the Etihad Stadium.

Take a look at Liverpool’s fixtures in January, and there’s a strong case to be made for Carvalho to play a key role. A two-leg Carabao Cup semi-final against his previous club Fulham, as well as a Premier League trip to Bournemouth, might see the Lisbon-born prospect occupy the left wing, allowing the likes of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez to rest.

Keeping Carvalho on the books as the Reds prepare to challenge on all fronts at the turn of the year can be an effective move towards keeping trophy aspirations alive.