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Beth Lindop
MILAN — On Monday, Arne Slot expressed his surprise regarding Mohamed Salah’s interview following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United, stating he is uncertain whether the forward has played his last game for the club.
ESPN sources revealed that Liverpool has temporarily sidelined Salah from selection after his explosive remarks, where he criticized the club and indicated a breakdown in his relationship with Slot.
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Salah was omitted from Liverpool’s squad for their Champions League match against Internazionale on Tuesday.
Slot mentioned that he informed Salah he would not be traveling to Milan during a brief conversation on Monday. When asked if he thought Salah had played his final game for the club, the Dutch coach replied, “I have no clue. I cannot answer that question at this point in time.”
“I firmly believe that there’s always a chance for a player to return, but…I think I’ll leave it at that,” he added.
During a press conference on Saturday, Salah expressed his disappointment about being benched throughout the match against Leeds, suggesting he felt scapegoated amid Liverpool’s rocky start to their Premier League title defense.
Reflecting on Salah’s comments, Slot said on Monday: “The only person who can answer that is Mo himself. I could speculate, but that wouldn’t be appropriate. It’s difficult for me to fully grasp who he is referring to.”
“We’ve communicated to him that he will not be traveling with us. That was the extent of our communication. Before Saturday, we had multiple discussions, which varied in length.”
It remains unclear whether Salah will be reconsidered for selection in Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League fixture against Brighton—potentially his last game for the club before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Slot remained vague on the matter.
“We’re approaching a crucial match tomorrow,” Slot said. “It’s been only 36 hours since that 3-3 draw with Leeds. You can appreciate that my focus is on preparing the team for the match against Inter.”
“For now, we’ve chosen not to include him in this game, and after tomorrow, we’ll reassess the situation.”
While Salah trained with Liverpool’s first team at AXA Training Centre on Monday morning, the decision was made to exclude him from the traveling squad for the match at San Siro.
Sources indicated this decision was made in collaboration with Slot and had his full backing. Slot mentioned he does not feel the relationship with Salah has deteriorated.
“I don’t feel that way at all, but he is entitled to his own feelings,” Slot stated. “I hadn’t sensed that until Saturday evening. It’s typical for players to express discontent when they’re not playing, but he remained respectful to his teammates and coaching staff. His comments after the match took me somewhat by surprise.”
“However, it’s not unusual for players left out of matches to express dissatisfaction. My response to that is clear—he is not part of the team tonight.”
Considering the nature and timing of Salah’s public comments, it’s believed that a brief separation from the squad is in the best interest of all involved, though Salah will not face disciplinary action.