Liverpool manager Arne Slot has drawn a clear line under recent speculation about his relationship with Mohamed Salah, stressing that things are “as normal as always” ahead of the Champions League clash with Marseille.
Salah is back with the squad after AFCON duty with Egypt, following a tense spell in which he was benched for three straight games, reacted with explosive comments and was then left out of the Inter Milan tie.
Slot reminded reporters that Salah came off the bench against Brighton, helped Liverpool win 2–0 and then travelled to Morocco “in a good situation” from the club’s perspective. He said he spoke with the forward on Tuesday and is “happy with his return”, highlighting that Salah scored at AFCON and now has the chance to prove again why he has 45 Champions League goals, far ahead of Virgil van Dijk’s five.
The Dutch coach underlined how much Liverpool missed Salah’s ruthless edge, noting that the team created chances in his absence but did not always finish them.
He described Salah and Cody Gakpo as the only true wingers in his squad, with others like Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong more naturally suited to different roles.
Liverpool will play Marseille at the Orange Velodrome.
