AFCON Shadow: Could Federico Chiesa Be Liverpool's Salah Replacement?
24 December 2025
AFCON Shadows over Salah and Liverpool
The retired Englishman Joe Cole, a former Liverpool and Chelsea player, believes Egyptian star Mohamed Salah can improve his standing at Liverpool if he shines at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah will be absent from Liverpool during this period as he is with his country in Morocco to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah led Egypt to win the opening group-stage match against Zimbabwe, 2-1, last Monday.
Mohamed Salah's performance on the Anfield pitch seemed unsettled as he sat on the bench for three consecutive Premier League games, was left out of the fourth Champions League match, but he returned to play against Brighton in the previous fixture.
Who Could Step in if Salah Departs?
Nevertheless, Cole believes that the Italian Federico Chiesa, a Liverpool player, is most capable of replacing Salah should he leave.
Cole told the Liverpool Echo that every time he sees Chiesa on the pitch, he feels like a player he would have loved to share the field with.
He added that beyond Liverpool's current squad, there is a winger at Paris Saint-Germain who can operate on both flanks and could replace Salah.
He explained that the most important thing now is to sit with Salah and understand what he wants, and whether he will remain a key player for the team after AFCON.
He continued that Salah can fix his situation by taking part in AFCON, playing for his country, and upon return focusing with Liverpool to start a new chapter.
He also said that it seems Salah has resolved his issue with manager Arne Slot, and now is the right time to settle this small dispute, with a possible apology.
If he were in Arne Slot's position, he would want to see Salah at full readiness; if Salah still wants to stay, then he should help him regain his passion.
Punchline: If Salah returns from AFCON with a tan, at least his goals will have a summer vibe.
Punchline 2: Maybe Liverpool should hire a magician too—watch a winger appear, then Salah reappear with renewed spark.
