PARIS — Mohamed Salah faced the consequences of Liverpool‘s 4-0 FA Cup loss to Manchester City as he was left out of Arne Slot’s lineup for the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
The 33-year-old Salah was substituted in the 77th minute during Saturday’s defeat at the Etihad, following a missed opportunity in the first half and a subsequently saved penalty by City goalkeeper James Trafford in the second half.
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Salah remained on the bench for the entire match in Paris, even as Liverpool failed to record a single shot on target in a 2-0 loss.
“In the latter part of the game, it was about survival for us,” Slot explained regarding Salah’s absence from the pitch. “Mo has incredible abilities, but defending for 25 minutes inside his own box isn’t ideal; it’s better for him to conserve energy for future matches.”
The two teams are set to clash again at Anfield next Tuesday.
With the Champions League being the only potential avenue for silverware this season, Slot opted to utilize Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez as wing-backs, supported by a back three consisting of Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, and Ibrahima Konaté.
Sources informed ESPN that Slot’s final training session on Tuesday focused on implementing a back three formation—a strategy he has not previously utilized as Liverpool’s coach.
Florian Wirtz, who was also substituted during the disappointing match against City, retains his spot in the Liverpool lineup, with Alexis Mac Allister returning to midfield in place of Curtis Jones.
The Egypt international, Salah, declared during last month’s international break that he intends to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, even though he has a year remaining on his £400,000-a-week contract at Anfield.
Previously, the former Chelsea, Fiorentina, and Roma forward was also omitted by Slot during December’s Champions League match against Inter Milan after suggesting he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club this season.
Salah has consistently started matches for Liverpool since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in January, but Slot made the decision to bench him in Paris.