Liverpool could receive a significant January boost with the surprise news that Mohamed Salah may return from the Africa Cup of Nations earlier than anticipated.
Supercomputer Forecasts Shock Egypt Exit
A new prediction from a statistical model, often referred to as a supercomputer, has raised eyebrows by forecasting a premature end to Egypt's tournament campaign. The projection suggests the Pharaohs, captained by Salah, will suffer a stunning 1-0 defeat to Comoros in the last-16 stage.
Matches in that knockout round are scheduled to take place between Saturday, January 3, and Tuesday, January 6, 2026. An exit at this phase would drastically alter Salah's availability for his club side.
Implications for Liverpool's Fixture List
Initially, Liverpool were prepared to be without their star forward until after the AFCON final on January 18. However, this new forecast opens the possibility of an earlier comeback.
The Reds face a crucial Premier League clash against Arsenal on January 8. While a return for that specific match may be logistically tight, Salah would almost certainly be available for the FA Cup third-round tie against Barnsley on January 12 if Egypt fall to Comoros.
Salah has already departed to join the Egyptian squad and will miss Liverpool's festive fixtures against Tottenham and Wolves. His international campaign begins with a group stage match against Zimbabwe, followed by games against Angola and South Africa.
Background of Salah's International Duty
The 33-year-old forward's commitment to the national team was recently underscored after he was omitted from Liverpool's matchday squad against Inter Milan. This followed surprising public comments from Salah about manager Arne Slot after he was an unused substitute against Leeds.
He swiftly returned to action as a substitute in the following win over Brighton. Salah did not feature in Egypt's recent 2-1 warm-up victory over Nigeria, having only arrived at the camp in the early hours of Tuesday morning alongside Manchester City's Omar Marmoush.
Meanwhile, the same supercomputer analysis predicts tournament hosts Morocco will win the AFCON, defeating Senegal 1-0 in the final.
