Arne Slot not ruling out Mohamed Salah’s return to Liverpool squad after UCL squad omission

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has not ruled out the possibility of Mohamed Salah featuring one last time for the Reds before travelling to Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah was left out of the squad that travelled to Italy for Tuesday night’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan. The Egyptian forward was omitted after expressing his frustration last Saturday, a reaction that prompted Slot to leave him out of the team for the midweek fixture.

Salah, who has come off the bench in Liverpool’s last three matches, voiced his disappointment following the game against Leeds United. In response, Slot decided to give him time away from the squad, at least temporarily.

Speaking in a press conference on Monday, the Liverpool manager indicated that Salah could still return for this weekend’s Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion, although no final decision has been made.

When asked whether Salah had already played his last game for Liverpool, Slot replied, “No idea, I can’t answer that question at the moment. But I think a player can always come back.”

Slot added that he had not yet spoken directly with the forward.

“He is not participating in this match. That’s the only information we’ve had from him so far.”

The manager also admitted he did not expect Salah’s public outburst.

“We had often spoken before Saturday. Sometimes it was longer, sometimes shorter, but I didn’t really get the impression that our relationship had cooled. He certainly has the right to express his feelings, but I didn’t think so before Saturday night. It often happens that players are unhappy about not playing, but Mo has been very respectful and worked hard. So I was surprised by his comments after the match,” Slot said.

Slot’s reflections leave Salah’s immediate future uncertain, with fans now waiting to see whether the Egyptian star will return to the squad one more time before heading to the AFCON.