Liverpool Advances to Carabao Cup Semi-Finals with Impressive Victory over West Ham
Liverpool’s dominant performance against West Ham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals secured their place in the semi-finals. The Reds triumphed with a resounding 5-1 victory at Anfield, with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo.
The upcoming semi-final fixtures will see Liverpool face Fulham over two legs in January. However, Liverpool will have to navigate these matches without the services of Salah and Wataru Endo. Both players will be absent due to their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup, respectively.
Salah is expected to join the Egypt squad after Liverpool’s FA Cup third-round match against Arsenal on January 7. The Africa Cup of Nations will take place in the Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11. Meanwhile, Endo will represent Japan in the Asian Cup held in Qatar from January 12 to February 10.
Egypt’s group stage matches in the Africa Cup of Nations are scheduled for January 14, 18, and 22 against Mozambique, Ghana, and Cape Verde, respectively. Japan will face Vietnam, Iraq, and Indonesia on January 14, 19, and 24 in the Asian Cup.
In addition to the first leg against Fulham, Salah and Endo will miss several other fixtures. If their respective teams progress further in the tournaments, they could potentially be absent for up to four more games, including a potential FA Cup fourth-round tie on the weekend of January 27/28.
Liverpool’s top finish in Group E of the Europa League ensures they avoid a knockout playoff and directly advance to the last 16. Otherwise, they would have faced a challenging two-legged tie against one of Galatasaray, Lens, SC Braga, Benfica, Feyenoord, AC Milan, Young Boys, or Shakhtar Donetsk in February.
While Egypt is expected to progress beyond the group stage, Japan is considered a favorite to win the Asian Cup. Liverpool will have to navigate these fixtures without two key players, but they remain determined to continue their successful campaign in the Carabao Cup.