THE FUSE

Egypt's hopes were dashed early in the bronze medal shootout match after both Salah and Manchester City's Omar Marmoush saw their penalties sensationally saved by Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria secured the win with the final spot-kick, leaving the Pharaohs to settle for fourth place, their worst finish since 1984. Salah played a key role in Egypt's run, scoring four goals in five games before the semi-final, but his final act of the tournament was to see his penalty comfortably saved by Nwabali.

Salah won’t be blamed for not rushing back as quickly as he can to Anfield after a season of disappointment and criticism after a public falling out with Reds boss Arne Slot. The immediate challenge is reintegration into a Liverpool side that went 11 games unbeaten in all competitions during his absence, stabilising after a turbulent period which included a public spat where Salah accused manager Arne Slot of "throwing him under the bus". The Reds have just drawn their fourth consecutive league game, being held at Anfield by relegation-threatened Burnley.

While a line has been drawn after clear-the-air talks, it remains to be seen if he will walk straight back into the starting lineup or have to earn his spot, which may not sit well with a player who wants to start every game. But a raft of injuries, including to striker Alexander Isak, means Salah may be asked to head straight back into the squad. Salah bagged four goals and three assists in 14 Premier League appearances before leaving for AFCON, a slight drop from his prolific form in previous seasons.

The ongoing speculation about his long-term future, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2027 and links to the Saudi Pro League, adds another layer of complexity to his highly anticipated return.

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Speaking ahead of Egypt’s bronze medal match on Friday, Slot said: "First of all, he needs to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday and then he comes back to us. I am happy that he comes back. Mo has been so important for this club, for me, so I am happy that he is back. Even if I had 15 attackers I still would have been happy if he came back but that is not our current situation. We are talking together about [the Marseille game] now. We are in talks with him about what is expected of him over there, what is expected over here. But first of all he needs to have an important game on Saturday and next week he will be back."

Salah being named on the bench and remaining an unused sub on a number of occasions before AFCON caused huge controversy, and while there’s no doubt Liverpool need the reinforcements as soon as possible, Wednesday’s game against Marseille may come too soon for him after playing almost 600 minutes for Egypt at the tournament. If the Champions League fixture comes too soon, Salah could return when the Reds face Bournemouth in the Premier League at the weekend.