‘collision Course’—liverpool, Man City Facing Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush Row

Liverpool and Manchester City could look an uncomfortable confrontation pinch Egypt complete nan releases of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush up of nan Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), reports suggest.

AFCON disrupts nan home almanac each 2 years, whisking nan continent’s champion players distant for nan champion portion of a period depending connected a nation’s capacity astatine nan tournament. The 2025 edition, being staged successful Morocco, gets underway connected Dec. 21 pinch nan last scheduled to return spot a period later connected Jan. 18, 2026.

Salah and Marmoush are among nan highest-profile players who could beryllium gone for a afloat month—Egypt are traditionally 1 of nan pre-tournament favourites and are expected to do good again—and their departures will beryllium sorely felt by Liverpool and City, who must equilibrium a ample measurement of Premier League games successful a condensed play of time.

Although clubs person nary rumor releasing players for nan tourney itself, The Telegraph study that things could get a small prickly for Liverpool and City arsenic Egypt ideally want to alert Salah and Marmoush retired for a friends against Nigeria successful Cairo connected Dec. 14.

Pep Guardiola won’t conscionable beryllium losing Omar Marmoush. / Molly Darlington/Getty Images

City are understood to beryllium keen connected keeping Marmoush for nan Premier League conflict pinch Crystal Palace which is owed to beryllium played connected nan aforesaid day. There's nary connection connected Liverpool’s existent Salah stance, but nan Reds—who person mislaid six of their past 7 games successful each competitions and need their champion players to move things around—do play Brighton & Hove Albion 24 hours earlier and Salah would not person capable clip to play, recreation and past retrieve to characteristic for Egypt.

“Always I effort to lick nan problem erstwhile nan problem is successful beforehand of me. Right now I don’t deliberation [about it],” Pep Guardiola said successful his news convention of nan imaginable issue, knowing he’ll besides suffer Rayan Aït-Nouri to Algeria duty.

“I person to usage them for Sunday and adjacent Wednesday and adjacent Sunday earlier nan world break. When it is going to hap they cannot beryllium present and we will spot nan business and return nan decisions.”

If Marmoush departs aft City’s crippled pinch Palace arsenic nan erstwhile eight-time Premier League winners dream he will, nan 26-year-old could miss up to 8 games if Egypt scope nan final. For Liverpool, it’s a crippled less, owing to their striking Carabao Cup 4th information exit to nan aforementioned Palace.

The Games Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush Could Miss

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