Liverpool could be without Mohamed Salah and Endo Wataru for up to 10 games as they represent their country in the Africa Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup.
The 4-2 win against Newcastle United was the pair’s last game before joining the national team. The win gave the Reds three points and secured their place at the top of the Premier League. Salah again scored twice and provided an assist, while Endo also featured.
The Japanese captain has established himself as Jurgen Klopp’s midfield boss in recent weeks. Salah will fly to Ivory Coast to represent Egypt at CAN 2024, with the winger aiming to win the competition after losing on penalties to Senegal in the CAN 2021 final. and former Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane. Like Salah, Endo will also captain his country in the Asian Cup.
This year’s AFCON starts on January 13 and continues until the finals on February 11 and the Asian Cup starts on January 12 and continues until February 10.
The two tournaments come at a difficult time for United, with both Egypt and Japan reaching the finals of their respective tournaments, with Salah and Endo missing seven games, but 10 if Liverpool return to action in the FA’s third and fourth rounds. cup.
What could happen at Liverpool if Salah and Endo leave in early January?
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2024 editor to update the game with the latest results, fixtures and standings ahead of Salah and Endo’s international caps. We then simulated a season where a player might miss a game.
How did Liverpool fare in a possible seven games without Salah and Endo? In the simulation, Egypt and Japan each advanced to the tournament finals, with one team receiving a winner’s medal.
Salah scored twice as Egypt beat Algeria 3-2 in the AFCON final and Japan lost 2-0 to Australia in the Asian Cup.
