Liverpool are once again preparing for the mid-season disruption caused by the Africa Cup of Nations. The Reds will lose Mohamed Salah to the tournament in Morocco, which begins on December 21. Even in a season where he has struggled to hit top form under Arne Slot, Salah’s absence is a major blow. At minimum, he will miss three Liverpool matches.<\/p>
However, if Egypt reach the final on January 18, that number could rise to eight – which would include tough trips to Tottenham and Arsenal. This is a familiar issue for Liverpool, who have repeatedly had to cope without key players during AFCON in previous campaigns. This winter, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa and several others will see players leave for international duty.<\/p>
However, Bournemouth will not be affected by AFCON. Notably, Antoine Semenyo’s Ghana failed to qualify for the tournament. The Ghana forward is in electric form, sitting among the Premier League’s top scorers with six goals from his first 13 matches of the season. Yet Ghana’s shock failure to qualify for AFCON means Semenyo will not be away on international duty this winter.<\/p>