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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: (SUN OUT, SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Arne Slot, Manger of Liverpool, embraces Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, as they celebrate the teams victory and confirmation of winning the Premier League title after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield on April 27, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

(Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)(Image: 2025 Liverpool FC)

Liverpool will have to make do without Mohamed Salah during the Premier League festive period this season, with the forward set to captain Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

An ever-present in the English top-flight, his looming absence will hand Arne Slot a selection headache.

The 2025 edition of the continental competition has been pushed back from this summer due to the inaugural edition of FIFA’s controversial expanded Club World Cup taking place in the United States in June and July.

But with the World Cup also taking place next summer, the Africa Cup of Nations had to be pencilled in for December and January as opposed to its historical January and February mid-season slot.

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The latest edition of the tournament will get underway on December 21 and run until January 18, with Egypt’s group games taking place on December 22, Boxing Day and December 29.

Should the Pharaohs progress all the way to the final in Morocco, the 33-year-old could even end up missing nine matches in all competitions - including trips to Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal as well as the Reds’ penultimate Champions League league phase match.

Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott were the alternatives to Salah on the right-wing last season, but were both starved of opportunities as the Egyptian enjoyed arguably the best individual campaign of his career.

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Starting only once and twice respectively in the Premier League - with such outings only coming after the title was won - both players are now being heavily linked with Anfield exits.

Such a dilemma is nothing new.

But the Colombian and Portuguese have also been linked with exits this summer, and the Reds head coach would rather avoid putting square pegs in round holes.

After succeeding Klopp as manager, it became clear that Slot favoured having two quality players in every position - which led to the £10m signing of Chiesa from Juventus last August.

But as Salah enjoyed a remarkable campaign, returning 34 goals and 23 assists from 52 appearances in all competitions as he helped fire Liverpool to Premier League glory, the perils of being the Egyptian’s underused understudy became apparent once again - as has regularly been the case throughout his Anfield career.

The Reds have already looked to address this this summer though, by signing Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen.

After it became clear that Trent Alexander-Arnold would not be signing a new contract at Anfield, Liverpool moved for the Netherlands international as a replacement for their departing vice-captain as they activated his £29.5m release clause.

The 24-year-old was utilised predominantly as a right wing-back during his time at Leverkusen, but is capable of playing anywhere on the flank.

While Elliott and Chiesa were both coming in cold when turned to on the right last season, the hope will be that Frimpong features much more prominently next season.

That's always nice for a coach, that you have somebody in that position who's flexible.”

Frimpong has an admirable return in front of goal when utilised in a more traditional right-wing position/wide role in a front three with a defender behind.

A look at his career to date on Transfermarkt, and he is credited as having scored three times from six appearances as a right winger for Leverkusen.

In my opinion, Jeremie is a right winger on the ball.

Frimpong has won 13 international caps to date, with 10 of them coming in a more advanced wide midfield role.

As a result, he has actually made 38 appearances for club and country in such a position, starting 22 times and returning seven goals and six assists.

Featuring for 2,215 minutes, his goal contribution rate improves slightly to roughly one every 170 minutes.

Frimpong will not be rivalling Salah’s own super-human hauls, but boasting a record better than one goal contribution for every two games (180 minutes) is perfectly respectable for a natural defender playing further forward.

All being well, Slot will not need to regularly turn to Frimpong in a more advanced role next season, with the Africa Cup of Nations proving to be Salah’s only prolonged absence.

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But with such a position coming more naturally to the 24-year-old, Frimpong’s experience in the role to date at least demonstrates that he can cover sufficiently for Liverpool’s Egyptian King and solve a long-standing problem at Anfield in the process.


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