Liverpool have lost key players at the start of 2024, like a number of Premier League clubs, but not Manchester City.

Liverpool are one of a number of Premier League sides to have been stung by the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup this month.

After defeating Newcastle United on New Years’ Day, the Reds waved off Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo as they prepare to compete for Egypt and Japan in the respective continental competitions.

“I said if I wish you good luck it would be a lie (laughs)!” Jurgen Klopp joked to reporters on Friday when discussing the absence of the pair. “No, I do obviously (wish them luck), but from a personal point of view I would be overly happy if they go out in the group stages but it is probably not possible.

“It’s fine, they can go and win it as well. So good luck, see you and come back healthy. That’s pretty much the words.”

The Asian Cup gets underway on Friday (January 12), with the Africa Cup of Nations following suit on Saturday (January 13) Their respective finals take place on Saturday 10 and Sunday, February 11.

Should Japan or Egypt reach either final, with both nations among the favourites for their respective tournaments, then Endo and Salah would be missing for Liverpool for at least eight matches after their team-mates progressed to the FA Cup fourth round with a magnificent 2-0 triumph at Arsenal on Sunday.

Realistically, the pair will miss at least four games. Starting with yesterday’s FA Cup third-round tie at Arsenal, the League Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham and Premier League trip to AFC Bournemouth both fall during the continental tournaments’ group-stages.

Meanwhile, Liverpool travel to Craven Cottage for the second leg of their semi-final with Fulham on Wednesday, January 24. Egypt’s final group game falls against Cape Verde on the night of Monday, January 23, while Japan takes on Indonesia on Wednesday, January 24.

Consequently, either player could technically return for the yet-to-be-decided FA Cup fourth-round tie over the weekend of January 27-8 or the Premier League visit of Chelsea to Anfield on Wednesday, January 31 if their nation suffered a shock group-stage exit. If not, participation in the round-of-16 overlaps that clash with the Londoners.

With the quarter-finals in both tournaments taking place on Friday 2 and Saturday, February 3, participation would likely rule out either player from travelling to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, February 4.

Should Endo and Japan reach the Asian Cup final, he will also miss the Reds’ home clash with Burnley on Saturday, February 10. Meanwhile, with the Africa Cup of Nations boasting a third place play-off, progression to the semi-finals for Egypt would ensure Salah also be absent against the Clarets.

Admittedly, it is not ideal for Klopp’s men considering the pair depart with Liverpool top of the Premier League and with one eye on a potential League Cup final. At least the German is confident his side can cope well enough without the duo, having seen their temporary departures coming well in advance.

Such progression in the League Cup also ensures that Endo and Salah are likely to miss more action than the majority of rival Premier League players. But that does not mean the Reds squad has been hit hardest.

Nottingham Forest will be without the most players in the English top-flight with six members of Nuno’s departing for the two continental competitions. Brentford and Wolves lose the services of four players, while Fulham are set to be without Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Fode Ballo-Toure when they take on Liverpool in the League Cup semi-finals. Tottenham Hotspur have also waved off three stars.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have seen Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny depart, while Bournemouth will be without Dango Ouattara and Antoine Semenyo when they host Klopp’s side later this month. The Reds, Gunners and Cherries are three of seven Premier League sides to be left without two of their players.

Elsewhere, Nicholas Jackson is Chelsea’s solitary departee with the Londoners one of five clubs to wave off a single star.

Yet three clubs will not lose any players to mid-season international exploits over the next month – Burnley, Manchester City, and Newcastle United. The Clarets will only play five times during the duration of the tournament after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Tottenham at the third round-stage on Friday, while the Magpies are due to take to the field for a sixth time after defeating Sunderland to reach the fourth round on Saturday. City, too, have progressed, after sweeping aside Huddersfield Town 5-0 on Sunday.

And in the case of City especially, the lack of mid-season international absentees is a certain boost as they look to make up ground on Liverpool in the Premier League title race. Currently boasting a game in hand following their participation in last month’s FIFA Club World Cup, they sit currently third in the table and are five points behind the Reds.

In a curious quirk of the Premier League fixture list, their next two outings actually come against the two sides who also haven’t lost players to AFCON or Asian Cup duty. They travel to Newcastle on Saturday, January 13 before hosting Burnley on Wednesday, January 31.

City then travel to Brentford on Monday, February 5, before hosting Everton in the early kick-off on Saturday, February 10, the same weekend of the respective international tournaments’ finals.

Having won six of their seven matches, drawing the other, when without the services of players due to African Cup of Nations duty back in 2022, Klopp will be hopeful that his side are capable of coping just as sufficiently without Salah and Endo this time around.

Admittedly, league meetings with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal without the pair are perhaps more intimidating than when facing Brentford, Crystal Palace and Leicester City two years ago.

And with Liverpool a side who have missed out on the Premier League title by a solitary point to Man City on two separate occasions in recent years, the Reds are well aware how much the small margins can make a difference.

Having not been stung by international exploits, Guardiola’s ranks have been handed a boost in contrast to their fiercest title rivals. Klopp will be left hoping it doesn’t prove decisive come May.

There was a major moment of controversy in Newcastle United’s defeat at Premier League leaders Liverpool on Monday night.

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