Liverpool have a simple solution to Mohamed Salah’s absence that won’t cost a cent
Liverpool could be without Mohamed Salah until mid-February depending on how Egypt fares in the AFCON Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah. Losing Mohamed Salah for an extended period of time is the last thing Liverpool would want in the middle of the Premier League title race. However, Jurgen Klopp and his coaching staff will soon be forced to fight as the 31-year-old prepares to take part in the latest African Nations (AFCON) series. The AFCON starts on January 13 and could see Salah away until February 11 – should Egypt reach the final of the tournament. The departure of Salah comes at a time when the Red attacking options struggled to make their mark in the final third and others had to step up in this turbulent period. The return of Diogo Jota will go some way to lightening that scoring burden and one player could come in from the cold to make his mark. Indeed, Liverpool could recall Fabio Carvalho in the January transfer window due to his lack of playing time at RB Leipzig. The Fulham academy graduate has been on loan to the Bundesliga for the entirety of the current season but has been limited to just a handful of substitute appearances in both league and cup competitions. Carvalho the situation is unlikely to improve any time soon with Leipzig acquiring Napoli attacking midfielder Eljif Elmas, pushing him further down the pecking order at the German club. The ECHO reported earlier this month that Liverpool are in talks to bring Carvalho back because of the player and his current situation is not benefiting the 21-year-old and the Reds. A loan to another club for the second half of the current campaign is a strong possibility, although perhaps keeping the 2021/22 title winner could also be an option for Klopp. The youngster showed flashes of quality during his debut campaign on Merseyside, notably in the August 2022 back-to-back matches against Bournemouth and Newcastle, where the former Fulham star scored in both matches despite only coming off the bench in both games. events Carvalho also impressed in the Carabao Cup defeat at Manchester City last December, reacting almost immediately to Erling Haaland’s opener at the Etihad Stadium. Watch Liverpool’s games in January and Carvalho is sure to star. A two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against former employers Fulham, plus a trip to Premier League side Bournemouth, could see the Lisbon-born talent occupy the left wing, while Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez can take away plenty. – needed a breath. As the Reds prepare to be tested on all fronts at the turn of the year, keeping Carvalho on the books could be an effective move to keep their trophy hopes alive.