AFCON Headache: Liverpool, City Amid Club v Country Debate As Salah, Marmoush Await Departure

Last Updated:November 01, 2025, 16:08 IST

Liverpool and Manchester City will lose Salah and Marmoush to Egypt for AFCON, risking key absences during crucial fixtures as the tournament starts December 22.

Liverpool's Salah and City's Marmoush (X)

The Africa Cup of Nations hasn’t even kicked off yet, but the tug-of-war between club and country is already heating up.

Both Liverpool and Manchester City are bracing for a festive season headache as star forwards Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush prepare to link up with Egypt later this year.

Neither Premier League giant plans to release their players for Egypt’s pre-AFCON friendly against Nigeria on December 14, with City facing Crystal Palace that same day and Liverpool hosting Brighton the evening before.

City Cautious With Marmoush

City are set to withhold Marmoush from Egypt’s December training camp. The 26-year-old attacker only just returned from a knee injury that sidelined him for seven matches, marking his comeback with a goal in City’s midweek Carabao Cup win over Swansea.

Should Egypt go deep at AFCON, which runs until January 18, 2026, Marmoush could miss up to 10 club games, including league fixtures and Champions League action.

Egypt’s AFCON campaign begins December 22 against Zimbabwe in a group with South Africa and Angola.

City are expected to release Marmoush after the Crystal Palace match, with his first absence likely to come in the EFL Cup tie against Brentford on December 16.

Salah’s AFCON Countdown

Liverpool face a similar call with Salah, who could miss around seven games if Egypt reach the final in Morocco. The Reds’ trip to Tottenham on December 20 is expected to be his first game out.

Head coach Arne Slot already fielded a weakened side in Liverpool’s recent 3–0 EFL Cup defeat to Palace, resting several first-teamers including Salah.

“We’ll See and Take the Decisions’

Pep Guardiola, though, isn’t losing sleep over the whole fiasco.

“This competition is for their countries, so they have to go," he said. “When it happens, they can’t be here. So, we’ll see the situation and take the decisions."

Elsewhere, Sunderland could lose up to nine players, while Manchester United will be without Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) and Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast).

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

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News sports AFCON Headache: Liverpool, City Amid Club v Country Debate As Salah, Marmoush Await Departure

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