Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah is set to return to Liverpool’s squad for Friday’s Premier League meeting with Aston Villa after recovering from the muscle injury that forced him to miss the club’s last two matches.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot confirmed the positive update during his pre-match press conference, handing the Reds a timely boost as they continue their push in the closing stages of the Premier League season.
Salah’s absence had raised concerns among Liverpool supporters, particularly given the importance of the final weeks of the campaign.
However, the Dutch coach revealed that the Egyptian international is now ready to return, although his involvement is expected to be carefully managed.
“Mo will be available tomorrow for just a few minutes, but we hope he can get some playing time,” Slot said.
The return of Salah is seen as a major advantage for Liverpool ahead of a crucial encounter against Aston Villa. The 33-year-old remains one of the team’s most influential attacking players and his availability provides additional depth and experience at an important stage of the season.
Liverpool also received encouraging news regarding French defender Ibrahima Konaté. The centre-back had been substituted during the recent match against Chelsea, leading to questions over his condition ahead of Friday’s fixture.
Slot, however, dismissed any major concerns and confirmed the defender had resumed normal training with the squad.
“Ibou is fine, he trained with us,” the Liverpool manager explained.
While the updates on Salah and Konaté were positive, uncertainty remains over the availability of Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker and German midfielder Florian Wirtz.
Alisson has returned to training but Liverpool’s medical staff will continue to assess his condition before a final decision is made on his participation against Aston Villa.
“Alisson trained with us again. We’ll see tomorrow where he stands, whether he’s ready or if he needs to wait another week,” Slot said.
Wirtz, meanwhile, is dealing with illness ahead of the match. According to Slot, the German attacking midfielder is currently recovering from a stomach infection and remains doubtful for the game.
“He has a stomach infection, so we’ll see what condition he’s in tomorrow. He’s on antibiotics. We’ll see if he’s ready to play tomorrow,” he concluded.
Liverpool head into Matchday 37 knowing every point could prove decisive, and the return of Salah offers fresh optimism ahead of another important night in the Premier League title race.
