Mohamed Salah is ready to travel to the Ivory Coast to represent Egypt in the African Cup of Nations, missing potentially vital Liverpool matches.

During the first half of the season, Salah was undoubtedly the finest player in the Premier League. In 20 Premier League games for Liverpool, the 31-year-old has 14 goals and eight assists, as well as three goals in the Europa League.

The Egyptian’s outstanding performance has lifted Liverpool to the top of the Premier League standings. With Salah joint-top of the league scoring charts this season, Liverpool would hardly want to lose him for an extended period of time, but Jurgen Klopp will need to devise a winning formula without his star winger in order to maintain that position in the coming weeks as he represents Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah will not play in the FA Cup third round match against Arsenal on January 7, the club revealed in an official statement on Friday.

“Mohamed Salah will join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations following Liverpool’s match against Newcastle United,” said the announcement.

“On Monday night, the Reds host the Magpies at Anfield in their first game of 2024.” Salah is available to play in that game before heading to the Ivory Coast for the next edition of the African Cup of Nations.”

The number of Liverpool games Salah will miss will be determined by Egypt’s performance in the campaign.

The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is set to begin on January 14 in Ivory Coast, with Egypt commencing their Group B campaign against Mozambique on the same day. On January 18, they will play Ghana, followed by a match against Cape Verde on January 22.

That means the talismanic winger will miss at least three Liverpool games and may return for the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final against Fulham on Wednesday, January 24, but he will most likely miss a lot more.

Given that the three-time AFCON champions have not failed to qualify for the knockout stage since 2003/04, Salah should help them get through the group stages, and their last 16 match will be played on either January 28 or 29, depending on where they finish in Group B.

If Egypt is eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations in the round of 16, Salah will miss the Reds’ EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Fulham, a likely FA Cup fourth-round tie, and maybe Liverpool’s Premier League match against Chelsea.

If Egypt is eliminated in the quarter-finals, which will be contested on February 2 and 3, Salah will most likely be unavailable for Liverpool’s critical Premier League away encounter against title rivals Arsenal.

If Egypt is knocked out in the semi-finals on February 7, Salah would miss Liverpool’s match against Burnley at Anfield on February 10, as he will compete in the third-place play-off on the same day.

If Salah’s Egypt advances to the AFCON final, which will be contested on February 11 at the Olympic Stadium in Ebimpe, he may miss up to eight games for the Merseyside club.