Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have sent a request to keep Mohamed Salah in England for a longer period ahead of the AFCON.
Egypt FA have not yet made a decision on the late release of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
The Reds have requested a late departure for the striker that will see him skip only two Premier League games. It will also help Jurgen Klopp’s team as they face Leicester City and Chelsea in the coming weeks.
In fact, Liverpool is also eager to secure similar agreements with Senegal and Guinea’s associations. The plan is to keep Sadio Mane and Naby Keita available at Anfield for as long as possible.
Aston Villa have secured their deal with the Zimbabwean FA over the late release of midfielder Marvelous Nakamba. Now, Liverpool will have to desperately wait for decisions regarding their players.
FIFA rules dictate that all the players must arrive on Monday 27 December, one week prior to the inauguration of the major tournament. Meaning, Salah along with his colleagues will have to travel after Liverpool’s Boxing Day game against Leeds United.
The spokesperson at the Egypt FA, Osama Ismail has affirmed that the association has not made any decision on Salah’s request yet. “We already received the request. It is still under consideration, and no answer has been given yet,” he told Ahram Online.
Egypt director of football Wael Gomaa also mentioned to Ahram Online that head coach Carlos Queiroz has not arrived at a conclusion regarding Liverpool’s demand.
While talking about the stressful situation revolving around AFCON, Klopp hopes that his stars are available after Boxing Day. “It’s not decided yet. I am an optimistic person. So I hope so, but it’s not written in stone and not completely in our hands.”
If and if the request is accepted by Egypt FA, Salah, Mane, and Keita will only miss Liverpool’s visit to Brentford and Crystal Palace along with a third-round FA Cup clash against Shrewsbury Town.
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