Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp said he would be happy if Mohamed Salah’s Egypt fail to make it out of their group at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Klopp lamented the absence of the two-time African Footballer of the Year as Liverpool prepare to face Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
Salah is currently in Egypt with the rest of Ru Vitoria’s team as they intensify preparations for the African football showpiece that starts on January 13.
The 31-year-old is the leading top scorer for the Reds this season with 18 goals to his name across all competitions.
“I said if I wish you good luck it would be a lie,” Klopp said in a press conference on Friday.
“From a personal point of view, I would be happy if they go out in the group stage but that’s probably not possible. They can go on and win it.
“So it was ‘Good luck and come back healthy’. We have to deal with it and we will deal with it. I am pretty positive that we will find a way.”
