Liverpool boss Arne Slot plans to sit down with Mohamed Salah on Friday morning to decide whether the Egypt forward will feature against Brighton on Saturday. Salah, 33, said he felt “thrown under the bus” by the club after Saturday’s draw with Leeds and then missed Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan. He also claimed he had “earned his place” in the team when speaking with reporters in the Elland Road mixed zone.
“I will have a conversation with Mo this morning,” Slot said. “The outcome of that talk will shape how things look [on Saturday].”
Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield at 15:00 GMT on Saturday as they attempt to bounce back from back-to-back league draws. Salah, who has netted 250 goals in 420 appearances for the Reds, has been an unused substitute in two of Liverpool’s last three Premier League games. His last appearance came as a substitute in the 1-1 draw with Sunderland on 3 December, while his last start was the Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven on 26 November.
Slot indicated there were extensive talks after the Sunderland match between Salah’s representatives, himself, and the club.
Salah is due to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday; depending on Egypt’s progress, he could be back on Merseyside after the final on 18 January. He has five goals in 18 appearances across the Premier League and Champions League this season.
When pressed about Salah’s future, who signed a new two-year deal in April, Slot added: “I have no reasons not to want him to stay.”
