Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will lose both Wataru Endo and Mohamed Salah for potentially the next eight games following the match against Newcastle with a decision to be made in both areas.
Losing topscorer Salah will be a bitter blow for Klopp with the Egypt international once again in sensational form for the Reds this year.
His 16 goals and eight assists have been a huge part of Liverpool's charge to the top of the table.
Endo has also proven crucial in recent weeks with Klopp's midfield unit going through a mini injury crisis.
Jurgen Klopp has big decisions to make this month
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Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have all been carrying knocks over the festive period while Thiago Alcantara is still yet to return.
He had started Liverpool's last five league games prior to the match at home to Newcastle on New Year's Day and popped up with an important equaliser in the win over Fulham last month.
But both Endo and Salah will join up with their respective nations immediately after the game against Newcastle.
Salah's Egypt will be gunning for glory at the Africa Cup of Nations while Endo will hope to lead Japan to victory at the AFC Asian Cup.
Both tournaments could run into the middle of February, meaning the Liverpool duo may be unavailable for up to the next eight games.
That includes both Carabao Cup semi-final ties against Fulham, the FA Cup third-round tie against Arsenal, league matches against the Gunners and Chelsea as well as a potential fourth-round FA Cup match.
Klopp will not want his side to lose any momentum while Salah and Endo are unavailable and the January market potentially opens the door to fix any holes on a short-term basis.
Finding the right player to fit what Liverpool would need is the most tricky part.
Mohamed Salah has been instrumental for Liverpool once again
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The Liverpool boss appears happy enough with the attacking options at his disposal, particularly with Diogo Jota returning from injury and Darwin Nunez ending his goal drought recently.
“Yes, absolutely, it’s great timing [Jota and Nunez scoring]," Klopp said.
"And it’s good as well that we played the West Ham game without Mo starting, seeing that we can do something without him.
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Wataru Endo will also be a big miss for Liverpool
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"You want to have Mo Salah, he plays all the time, on the pitch, but he’s not available. You always have to find solutions and usually we find some.
“It’s not the first time, it’s a really very average situation that you lose your goalscorer, but we had it even worse in the past when both Sadio [Mane] and Mo left and traditionally at least one of them went far in the tournament.
"We know the Africa Cup of Nations appears and Mo has to go, and so we have to deal with it.”
