Mohamed Salah will not make an immediate return to Liverpool despite Egypt being knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations by Senegal.
The Liverpool forward’s tournament came to an end on Sunday when Senegal, led again by his club team-mate Sadio Mane, won the last-16 tie on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
It means Salah is now free from international duty, but he is not expected to head straight back to Merseyside. The reason is simple: Egypt’s players are set to remain with the squad as AFCON continues.
It has been revealed that eliminated teams do not instantly disband at the tournament. Instead, they are required to stay until official travel arrangements are completed, with players returning home as a group rather than leaving on their own.
So even though Salah’s Egypt are out, the 31-year-old is not expected to be available to Liverpool immediately. His return will depend on when Egypt’s delegation is cleared to depart and travel can be organised.
For Liverpool, it is another delay at a time when Jurgen Klopp will be keen to have his leading scorer back in training as soon as possible. But the club’s plans are now tied to Egypt’s schedule after their defeat to Mane and Senegal.
Salah had been one of the standout figures for Egypt during the competition, but his AFCON campaign ended without a goal in the knockout match, as the tie stayed goalless through 120 minutes before being settled from the spot.
Senegal held their nerve in the shootout to advance, while Egypt were left to exit the tournament and begin the process of returning home together.
