Africa Cup of Nations

How Liverpool could line up without Salah, Mane, Keita during AFCON

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 24 December 2021

Sports Mole takes a look at how Liverpool could line up without Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita during the Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool will lose two of their most potent attackers for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament with players set to join their respective nations on December 27.

Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Sadio Mane (Senegal) and Naby Keita (Guinea) are poised to jet off to the continental competition, which starts on January 9 and ends on February 6.

Jurgen Klopp will therefore have some big calls to make in the final third, with regular fixtures Salah and Mane unavailable for several key encounters over the winter period.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the Reds could line up without the AFCON trio.

LIV XI during AFCON

With Salah and Mane nailed-on starters on the flanks week in week out, Klopp is sure to call upon Takumi Minamino during the AFCON period, with Harvey Elliott still out with his serious ankle problem.

Diogo Jota has been holding the fort at the tip of the Liverpool attack amid Roberto Firmino's injury woes, but the Brazilian's return means that Jota could now occupy the left-hand side in place of Mane.

Firmino would therefore reclaim his place up top, where Divock Origi - fitness permitting - will aspire to earn more opportunities during Salah and Mane's absences next month.

The temporary loss of the injury-plagued Keita is less of a concern for Klopp, who will likely call upon Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago in the engine room, although Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are alternative options.

There was brief talk of Cameroon's Joel Matip potentially coming out of international retirement following the election of Samuel Eto'o as the president of the country's football federation, but the centre-back appears to have played his last game for The Indomitable Lions after making his final appearance in 2015.

The 30-year-old is therefore set to form part of an unaffected backline over the AFCON period alongside mainstays Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Alisson Becker.