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Mohamed Salah could miss as many as 10 Liverpool matches over the next month after departing for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Granted, this total is only met if the Reds progress in the FA Cup and require third and fourth round replays, while Egypt reach the continental final. But for the forthcoming weeks, starting with Sunday’s FA Cup trip to Arsenal, Liverpool will have to find a way to win without their Egyptian King.
And they will likely do so without making use of the transfer market, with Jurgen Klopp having no interest in short-term replacements. That was his stance in 2017 when losing Sadio Mane to AFCON duty and again in 2022 when Naby Keita departed along with the two aforementioned forwards.
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Admittedly, Luis Diaz was signed in January 2022 when Salah and Mane were still away at AFCON, but his arrival was always long-term. He was a replacement for the Senegalese on the left-wing for years to come, not for six weeks in winter as the forward helped his homeland become African champions.
Besides, the Colombian made just one appearance prior to Salah’s return, coming off the bench to make his debut against Cardiff City in the FA Cup fourth round. A first start followed in the Premier League against Leicester City, with the returning Egyptian utilised as a substitute, before Mane’s own return.
An intended target for the following summer, Liverpool moved early to sign Diaz from FC Porto in a deal worth up to £49m after Tottenham Hotspur forced their hand. Spurs had looked set to sign the forward, and ultimately negotiated the price
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