Mohamed Salah has been recalled to the Liverpool squad for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.
The Egyptian attacker’s inclusion follows positive discussions between the player and head coach Arne Slot at Kirkby today, sources briefed on the matter have confirmed.
Salah’s future at Anfield was thrown into doubt after his incendiary comments following last weekend’s game at Leeds United and subsequent banishment from the squad for the midweek Champions League away win at Inter Milan.
The decision was taken by Slot, who did what he believes is in the best interests of the team. Salah will leave to join up with the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations following Saturday’s match and Liverpool view that period of separation as crucial for those involved to further address the current situation.
Speaking at his news conference earlier on Friday, Slot said: “I will have a conversation with Mo this morning and the outcome of that conversation determines how it will look tomorrow.
“What I need is a conversation with him and the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. You can keep on trying but there’s not much more to say.
“We have spoken a lot in the last week. There were a lot of conversations between his representatives and ours, our representatives and him, between him and me, and today I will speak to him again.“
Slot refused to be drawn on whether Salah would need to apologise for his outburst if he’s going to return to the squad against Brighton.
Asked if he wanted the Egyptian attacker to stay at Liverpool, Slot said: “I have no reasons for not wanting him to stay.”
Reacting to being left out of the team for a third successive game, Salah claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and said his relationship with Slot had broken down. He also left the door open to a possible January move and said he plans to say “goodbye” to the fans on Saturday before linking up with the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes was heavily involved in the decision to leave Salah out of the Milan trip, but Slot was adamant that whether to have him in the squad against Brighton would be his own call.
“I think we decided as a club – and I was part of that decision – not to take him to Milan and I am always in contact with them (Hughes and FSG CEO of football Michael Edwards),” he added.
“But when it comes to the decision-making of the line-up or the squad they always leave it open to me. That is not to say I don’t talk to them, mainly Richard not Michael, but I talk to him about so many things.
“The decision to play a player or have him in the squad – as I have experienced until now and I think this will never change – is entirely up to me.”
A welcome decision for the squad
For Liverpool supporters concerned that Mohamed Salah wouldn’t play for the club again, there will be a huge sense of relief.
It would have been a desperately sad end to a remarkable Anfield career if he had been left out of the squad to face Brighton and then subsequently moved clubs in January following his commitments with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Whether Salah apologised to Arne Slot for his outburst at Elland Road during Friday’s talks at Kirkby remains unclear, but the Dutchman’s decision to bring him back into the fold after he was banished for the midweek trip to Inter certainly points to an improvement in relations.
Slot vowed to do what was in the best interests of the team and with Cody Gakpo injured and Alexander Isak a fitness doubt, Salah will surely have a part to play against Brighton.
It would be naive to think that the situation has been completely resolved. Salah couldn’t contain his frustration after being left out of the starting line up for three successive matches and there are no guarantees that he will walk straight back into the side after AFCON. Liverpool have won two and drawn two since Salah was dropped with Slot changing the system to make the team more compact.
Talks between the Anfield hierarchy and Salah’s representative Ramy Abbas will continue while the player is at the tournament in Morocco to determine the best way forward.Liverpool’s position remains that Salah is under contract until the summer of 2027 and they don’t want to lose him.
Salah’s comments last Saturday about being “thrown under the bus” and made a scapegoat for the club’s struggles this season divided opinion among the fanbase. But the news that he’s been recalled will be universally welcomed.
