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Arne Slot has cast further doubt on Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool by admitting he has “no clue” whether the forward has played his last game for the club. The Liverpool head coach also insisted his politeness should not be mistaken for weakness after leaving Salah out of the Champions League game against Inter on Tuesday.
Slot gave his first public reaction on Monday to Salah’s incendiary interview at Leeds when previewing Liverpool’s match at San Siro. He denied Salah’s claims that their relationship had broken down and said only the Egypt international knows who supposedly threw him under a bus and wants him out of the club.
Salah trained on Monday for the second day in succession before Slot told him directly that he would not be travelling to Italy for the Champions League game. The decision to remove the 33-year-old from selection for a short period was taken by the Liverpool hierarchy in conjunction with Slot, and with the full support of the Dutch coach.
Salah could also miss the home game against Brighton on Saturday. He is due to report for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt on Monday and could be away from Liverpool until mid-January, when Saudi Arabian interest in the forward is likely to be rekindled.
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Asked whether there is a way back for Salah at Liverpool, who have the player under contract until the summer of 2027, Slot replied: “I am a firm believer that there is always a possibility to return for a player. But that is not … I can leave it with that I think.”
[ It’s Mohamed Salah v Liverpool, and nobody is coming out of it wellOpens in new window ]
The head coach, however, was pressed again on the possibility that the third highest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history may have played his last game for the club. “I have no clue,” Slot replied. “I cannot answer that question at this point in time.”
Slot admitted he was taken aback by Salah’s comment that their once-healthy relationship has broken down, having been benched for three consecutive games for the first time in his Liverpool career. “That is not the way I feel, but he has the right to feel how he feels things,” Slot said.
“I haven’t felt that at all until Saturday evening for sure. When I don’t play someone usually players don’t like the manager that much but he was really respectful to the staff and manager, his teammates and he trained very hard so it was a surprise to me when I heard the comments he gave. But it is not the first or last time a player who doesn’t play says something similar to what he did. But my reaction to that is clear and that’s why he is not here tonight.”
Slot said it was difficult to know who Salah was referring to when he claimed someone at Liverpool had thrown him under a bus. But he admitted having only a brief exchange with the player since Saturday – when informing him of the decision to leave him behind on Merseyside – and insisted the club’s reaction demonstrated his authority.
“Usually I’m calm, I’m polite,” Slot said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m weak so if a player has these comments about so many things then it’s up to me and the club to react. We reacted in way you can see – he’s not here.”
Liverpool would have been low on numbers against Inter even if Salah had been included on the trip. Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are absent through illness and injury – Chiesa could fly out on the day of the game should he recover from illness, while Gakpo is out for a few weeks having picked up a problem against Leeds – leaving Slot with a squad of 19 players that includes three goalkeepers and three teenagers.
The first-choice keeper Alisson also addressed the media on Monday and said he hoped Salah would play for Liverpool again. “I don’t think anything but I hope he plays again for the club,” he said. “That’s a personal situation between Mo and the club. We as his teammates and his friends, we hope the best thing happens for him, but as Liverpool FC players we want the best for the club as well. We want a win-win situation for everyone.”
Alisson also insisted the remainder of the squad were firmly behind Slot following a miserable run of results and performances. The Brazil international said: “Before Arne came in everyone talks about the huge challenge being a substitute for Jürgen Klopp. Now it looks like everyone takes for granted what we achieved last season. It should not be taken for granted. That should be enough but we believe in his knowledge. We believe his style of play and that he is capable of helping us to turn around this situation. I believe this is not only about ourselves [the players being behind Slot] but that’s is the situation with the club as well.”
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher spoke out strongly against Salah on Monday night on Sky Sports. Among a series of criticisms, the former Liverpool player said: “He’s chosen this weekend to do this, and he’s waited I think to choose a bad result for Liverpool. Supporters, the manager, everyone at the club feels like they’re in the gutter and he’s chosen that time to go for the manager and maybe get him sacked.
“I’d remind Salah and his agent that before he came to Liverpool he was known as the man who failed at Chelsea. He’d never won a major trophy before he came to Liverpool.” — Guardian
