Klopp Playfully Wary of Salah’s AFCON Journey

• Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp humorously reveals he might prefer Mohamed Salah to exit AFCON early, acknowledging the challenge without him
• Klopp expresses confidence in Liverpool’s ability to adapt to Salah’s absence during a busy January fixture list

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp teased on Friday that he’s not overly wishing Mohamed Salah good luck at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), acknowledging the challenge of facing a crucial stretch of games without his star scorer.

Salah, currently with Egypt for the Ivory Coast tournament, and Japan’s Wataru Endo, who is set for the Asian Cup in Qatar, will be absent during this critical period. Klopp, with a touch of humour, confessed to not sending them off with too many well-wishes.

“I said if I wish you good luck, it would be a lie,” Klopp shared ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup third-round clash with Arsenal on Sunday.

“From a personal point of view, I would be happy if they go out in the group stage, but that’s probably impossible. They can go on and win it. So it was ‘Good luck and come back healthy.’ We have to deal with it, and we will deal with it. I am pretty positive that we will find a way.”

Replacing Salah, who holds a crucial role on the right side of Liverpool’s attack and has netted 18 goals in all competitions this season, presents a challenge. Despite midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai being a potential option, he’s ruled out for at least two matches due to a hamstring injury.

Klopp, however, remains optimistic that Liverpool can adapt and fill the void left by Salah’s absence.

“We have different offensive options who can all play that wing differently. Nobody else can play like Mo; it is not possible — we just have to use the boys with their skills,” Klopp explained.

Acknowledging the challenging January fixture list, Klopp highlighted Liverpool’s busy schedule despite a mid-season player break. The upcoming game against Arsenal, following a recent 1-1 draw, and the League Cup semi-final against Fulham pose a demanding start to the new year.

“Some teams obviously don’t play that often in January. We don’t have that; we have now with the semi-final, we have a proper rhythm,” Klopp stated, cautioning about a rematch with Arsenal and its potential impact on the winter break.

As Liverpool navigates this period without Salah, Klopp remains confident that the team can adapt and continue their pursuit of success in various competitions.