Fortunately, the AFCON is the only time Liverpool can think about how they will manage without Salah, and the Egyptian appears to be bulletproof in terms of injuries. He suffered a rare problem during the tour but there is now speculation he will return to Anfield after missing more games than expected.
But with questions over Salah’s long-term future at Liverpool greater than ever, this banned year seems more important than ever. He remains the team’s most important player, but is still an anomaly in a rejuvenated and refreshed front line. Both his contract situation and interest from Saudi Arabia are on Klopp’s radar. The manager is not auditioning while Salah is away at AFCON, but the decision to win without him feels like a test for the day he leaves the club for good. Hopefully that won’t be the case for a few years, but Klopp will criticize every decision he makes.In the match against Bournemouth, Luis Dias was used on the right. It’s an interesting experiment that many would like to see, but the Colombian has struggled to make much of an impact in Salah’s role and has failed to create a real threat.
He’s been feeling a little lost here lately, carefully rediscovering form. He was one of Klopp’s players as Liverpool sparked a turnaround with a 1-0 lead. Cody Gakpo moved to left, Darwin Nunes to center and Diogo Jota to right. Jota scored twice later but the game was completely abandoned and Klopp may have wondered why he hasn’t tested the Portuguese star on the right this season. He was certainly a bigger threat than Diaz or Harvey Elliott and could easily transfer his goalscoring form to Salah’s position.
And if there’s one thing Salah can replace, it’s scoring goals. This is a coin he has been assured of since arriving at Anfield. And Jota shares something similar – his ability to find a way to score goals regardless of his performance.
Ironically, Liverpool have performed very well in the years since Mohamed Salah lost the Africa Cup of Nations. This is a case study in correlation rather than causation, but Jurgen Klopp can find a way to win even without the talisman. That trend continued with a 4-0 win over Bournemouth.
