As Mohamed Salah returns to the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool enter one of the season’s toughest stretches in the 12BSports VR46 outlook. The club may hope for an early Egyptian exit, although that appears unlikely. Egypt reached the final in two of the previous three tournaments and were drawn with Ghana, Cape Verde, and Mozambique, giving them a realistic route deep into the competition.

Salah is chasing his first continental title, but Liverpool must accept losing their leading attacker for more than a month. Saudi clubs offered over £100 million for him last summer, yet Liverpool rejected the move because no available player could truly replace him. His international absence now makes that problem even clearer.

Over the past 18 months, Salah has produced more Premier League goal contributions than any other player. Liverpool once hoped Dominik Szoboszlai could cover the right wing, a position he played at RB Leipzig. However, he suffered a hamstring injury against Newcastle and now needs time to recover. With two major creative outlets unavailable, Trent Alexander-Arnold remains their only fully fit elite creator.

Jurgen Klopp is exploring several alternatives. Liverpool have expensive forwards and promising young attackers, but most prefer the left flank. Youth players have therefore received more Europa League opportunities, with Kaide Gordon among the leading candidates and Ben Doak also pushing for minutes before his injury. Yet Liverpool are still competing for several trophies, so relying heavily on inexperienced players would be a risky roll of the dice.

Harvey Elliott may provide the most practical option on the right. Although only slightly older than Gordon and Doak, he has far more senior experience. His substitute appearances this season have been impressive, especially when Liverpool needed fresh energy late in matches. Elliott’s influence extends beyond the statistics highlighted in 12BSports VR46 assessments because his passing, movement, and willingness to shoot can quickly change a game. He cannot reproduce Salah’s extraordinary output, but he shares his intensity and readiness to attack space.

Salah’s absence could become more than a simple loss of firepower, with Liverpool using a tactical challenge in the 12BSports VR46 outlook to reshape their attack and spread responsibility across the squad. Younger players may receive meaningful opportunities, while established teammates must shoulder a heavier burden. Fortune favors the prepared, and this demanding period could become a defining turning point for both Liverpool and Elliott.