Mohamed Salah arrives at the Africa Cup of Nations with unfinished business. Despite two Premier League titles and the Champions League with Liverpool, the continental trophy remains absent from his record after two previous final defeats with Egypt.

That gap was placed under sharp focus on Channel 4 as Egypt reached the semi-final. Former midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha warned: “In Africa you might win whatever trophy with your club, if you don’t win anything for your nation, they don’t regard you as a legend.” His point was echoed by Mikel John Obi: “This man here will be looking to get his hand on this tournament because he hasn’t won it. You can talk about the Premier League and the Champions League, but he has to win the AFCON.”

Salah has been central to Egypt’s progress. He has featured in four of the team’s five matches at the tournament, scoring in each appearance and supplying his first assist of the competition in Saturday’s 3–2 win over holders Ivory Coast.

Reflecting on that victory, Salah said: “It was a perfect win, but as I said before, we are fighting for our country.” He added: “Hopefully we go through the next game as well, it’s against a tough opponent, but we will give our best. We are fighting so hard, you can see the players, nobody is holding anything back. We are just carrying on.”

Egypt now prepare for Wednesday’s semi-final against Senegal. Salah’s involvement in the latter stages of the tournament carries implications for his club availability. His return to Liverpool will be delayed, with the Reds confirmed to be without him for Saturday’s meeting with Burnley. The midweek Champions League fixture with Marseille is now the earliest possible match for his comeback.

The AFCON final is scheduled for Jan. 18. If Egypt reach that match, Salah may not rejoin Liverpool until the trip to Bournemouth the following weekend.

Manchester City have confirmed that Joško Gvardiol will undergo surgery after suffering a broken leg in the Premier League draw with Chelsea. There is no set timeframe on his expected return, with further details likely to follow once the operation is complete. It is feared the 23-year-old, who has transitioned from left back to centre back, will be sidelined for some time.

“This is a hard moment,” Gvardiol posted on X in response to the news of his fracture. “But it will never define me,” he added. “I know who I am and where I come from. “To the Cityzens, thank you for your endless support. I love you, and I’ll fight every day to return stronger, as a City warrior.”

Gvardiol has made clear his priority is to be available for the World Cup this summer. Just under five months remain in the 2025–26 season to the end of May, with the World Cup to follow in June. Croatia, for whom he is a key player, are set to face England, Panama and Ghana in the group stage. The nation reached the 2018 final and finished third in 2022.

The injury is a significant blow for Manchester City beyond the loss of Gvardiol. Rúben Dias was also unable to complete the Chelsea game, forced off in the closing stages with a muscle injury and is now expected to miss up to six weeks. With John Stones already ruled out since the start of December with no set return, and Nathan Aké—by Guardiola’s own admission—only able to play limited minutes, Abdukodir Khusanov is currently the only fully fit centre back in the first-team squad.

Manuel Akanji is on loan at Inter with no recall clause, while Vitor Reis and Juma Bah are with Girona and Nice respectively, and are reported to be seeing those loans through. The club and player will now focus on the immediate medical steps and rehabilitation timelines, with both Manchester City and Croatia monitoring progress ahead of the summer tournament.

“My heart beats for Croatia,” he stated in a follow-up post. “Always! I will rise again, better than ever! For my club. For my brothers at club and national level. For my people. For Croatia.”

Julián Araujo has moved on loan from Bournemouth to Scottish powerhouse Celtic for the remainder of the season in a bid to secure consistent playing time ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The Barcelona academy graduate could make his debut in Saturday’s Old Firm Derby against Rangers, becoming just the second Mexican player in history to play for Celtic behind Efraín Juárez.

At his introductory press conference Araujo acknowledged the weight of the move and the expectations that come with the club. “I was very excited, obviously it’s a historic club,” he said. “A club where a lot of success comes. I’m excited to be a part of it, I’m excited to be here, help my team and hopefully bring a little bit of joy to the fans and just excited to work.

“I know the demands at a club like Celtic and I am ready for these. I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead and I want to play my part in bringing good times and good, winning football to our supporters.”

Araujo arrives in Scotland after a difficult spell in England where he struggled for minutes. It became clear Iraola simply didn’t consider him part of his plans, and that lack of playing time resulted in him failing to earn a call up from Javier Aguirre since the Gold Cup last summer. The Mexico manager has repeatedly stated that El Tri players must be getting regular minutes at their clubs to be considered for the World Cup roster.

Joining Celtic also reunites Araujo with manager Wilfried Nancy, whom he knows from his time in MLS. Recent reports suggested Liga MX powerhouse Club América had interest, but Araujo prioritised a move that kept him in Europe. With Mexico having lost Rodrigo Huescas to injury in late September, Araujo now has an opportunity to stake a claim at right back as competition for places intensifies in the six months before the World Cup.