Keep quiet and go to the AFCON – Michael Owen tells Salah after Liverpool outburst

Michael Owen has hit back at Mohamed Salah after the Liverpool forward publicly criticised the club following their dramatic 3-3 draw with Leeds.

Salah, benched for the third straight match under Arne Slot, told reporters he felt “thrown under the bus” and suggested his relationship with the manager had suddenly deteriorated.

Responding on X, Owen insisted Salah should not have gone public with his frustrations. Instead, he said the Egyptian should just go to the upcoming AFCON and see how things will turn out when he comes back.

“I can imagine how you feel. You’ve carried this team for a long time and won everything there is to win. But this is a team game and you simply can’t publicly say what you’ve said. You’re going to AFCON in a week. Surely you bite your lip, enjoy representing your country, and see how the land lies when you get back,” Owen said.

His comments add another layer to Liverpool’s growing tension, with Slot now under even more scrutiny ahead of the club’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan. Salah has scored four goals in 13 league matches this season, a noticeable dip from the 29 he netted last term when Liverpool won the Premier League title in Slot’s debut campaign.

The Egyptian captain has started only once since November and claimed the club failed to honour promises made during the summer. The situation has drawn particular attention, especially with criticism coming from Owen, a Liverpool great who scored 158 goals for the club and won the Ballon d’Or before his controversial 2004 move to Real Madrid.

Salah, who signed a new deal earlier this year to stay at Anfield until 2027, continues to attract interest from the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Hilal said to be monitoring him. He is expected to join Egypt next week ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.