Van Dijk still hopes Salah will stay at the club after the Africa Cup of Nations

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk stressed the importance of Mohamed Salah after the 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Saturday, adding that he hoped the Egyptian would stay at the club after the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah returned to the Liverpool squad on Saturday after a tumultuous week as the striker's harsh criticism of the club raised uncertainty over his future on Merseyside.

The 33-year-old replaced the injured Joe Gomez in the 26th minute, to the delight of the fans who welcomed him with a standing ovation and provided an assist for Hugo Ekitike's second goal.

"Mo will go to AFCON and we all hope he will succeed there and come back and be important for us for the rest of the season," Van Dijk told reporters after Saturday's match.

"The other side is that we all know football and we have no idea what will happen. I hope he stays because he is one of my leaders and still very important for the football club," the Dutchman added.

Salah will now join Egypt's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts next Sunday.IndeksOnline/.