Premier League champions Liverpool may face the absence of their key player, Mohamed Salah, for up to six matches during the 2025-26 season.
The schedule for each club was revealed on Wednesday morning, with the Reds commencing their title defense against Bournemouth at Anfield.
A challenging beginning to the season for Arne Slot’s squad sees the Merseysiders visiting Newcastle United in the second week, followed by a home match against anticipated title contenders Arsenal in the third week of the season.
Nevertheless, the Dutch manager’s primary worry will arise in the middle of the season, coinciding with the busiest period of the football calendar.
As the Reds advanced towards securing their 20th English top-flight trophy, Slot enjoyed the advantage of having Salah available for all 38 matches.
The Egyptian was honored as the Player of the Season, received the Golden Boot, and was awarded the Playmaker accolade.
Nevertheless, he will not participate in all of his club’s league matches this season.
Salah, recognized as the nation’s foremost star, is highly likely to be selected for the Egypt squad for the African Cup of Nations.
This tournament, which previously caused Salah to miss Premier League matches in 2024, is scheduled to take place from late December to mid-January, culminating in the final on the 18th.
Egypt’s opening match will be against Zimbabwe on December 22, and players are anticipated to gather for pre-tournament training at least one week prior.
Consequently, this would exclude Salah from an away match against Tottenham, as well as home games against Wolves and Leeds United, marking the Reds’ final fixtures of 2025.
The additional matches that Slot may have to navigate without Salah will depend entirely on Egypt’s performance.
Should they advance to the quarter-finals, the 33-year-old will also miss a double-header in the capital, facing Fulham and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
If Egypt progresses to the semi-finals – and potentially the final or third-place play-off – Salah will remain in Africa during Liverpool’s home match against newly-promoted Burnley.
This would result in a total of six matches without the primary creator and goalscorer, which is a cause for concern for Slot.