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Beth Lindop
Arne Slot expressed his satisfaction with Mohamed Salah‘s return from the Africa Cup of Nations next week, emphasizing that the forward remains “so vital” to Liverpool.
Despite Egypt being knocked out by Senegal in the AFCON semifinals, the 33-year-old will stay on with his national team until after Saturday’s third-place match against Nigeria in Casablanca.
Last month, Salah stirred controversy with a candid interview in which he alleged that Liverpool had “thrown him under the bus” during a period of poor performance, claiming that his rapport with Slot had deteriorated.
As a result, he was left out of the squad for Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan, but he later made a comeback in the 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion before heading to AFCON, with Slot assuring that the matter had been addressed.
“Firstly, he has a crucial match for Egypt on Saturday, then he will return to us,” the Liverpool manager remarked.
“I’m pleased he is coming back. Mo has always been a significant asset for this club and for me, so I’m delighted to have him back in the fold. Even if I had 15 attackers, I’d still be thrilled to see Mo return, though that’s not our current scenario.”
“We look forward to having him back after a critical match tomorrow.”
When asked about Salah’s availability for Liverpool’s upcoming Champions League fixture against Marseille next Wednesday, Slot responded: “We are currently discussing what is expected of him both there and here.
“He has a significant game on Saturday, and after that, he will rejoin us. We’re in talks regarding the Marseille match right now.”
Liverpool is looking to extend their unbeaten streak to 12 matches across all competitions when they take on Burnley in the Premier League at Anfield on Saturday.
While Slot’s team has not suffered a defeat since their 4-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven in November, the Dutch coach acknowledged that further improvement is needed for the team to achieve success this season.
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“Ideally, it wouldn’t just be an unbeaten streak of 11 games but rather a streak of 11 consecutive victories,” he emphasized. “That’s our objective.
“Aston Villa has enjoyed numerous successive wins, however, we have come a long way since conceding four goals against PSV Eindhoven. While we’ve made significant progress, there remains ample room for improvement. Even when we topped the Premier League and Champions League around this time last year.”