Liverpool boss explains Mo Salah decision, Arne Slott seeks balance
Arne Slot doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations. He left Mohamed Salah on the bench in the 2-0 win over West Ham United, the first time the Egyptian has missed a Premier League game since April 2024. Liverpool need to regroup after nine defeats in 12 games and, while the choice is bold, the manager is well aware of the emotional pressure behind it.
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“It’s not a good thing for Liverpool fans and it’s not a good thing for me because I’m a player who’s so important to us and you want to see him on the pitch,” Slott admitted. Such honesty underlines the wider truth about Salah’s status. Even at 33 years old and with 18 months left on his contract, he is still the heart of Liverpool.
Slaughter’s explanation and Salah’s response
The head coach further expressed his admiration for the striker, adding: “I prefer to see Mo on the pitch, scoring goals and doing something special, rather than having the camera on him when he’s not playing.” Slott also highlighted Salah’s long-term value, especially with the African Cup of Nations approaching. “He has been very important to us over the years and he will be very important to us in the days to come because this is the day he plays in the Africa Cup of Nations.”
Photo: IMAGO
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Salah will go to Egypt on December 15 for duty and may miss up to 8 games. Liverpool have four games before his departure, starting with Sunderland at Anfield, and Slott praised the professionalism shown by his star striker. “The response from every player on this team, whether he’s playing or not, is to bring the best out of himself in this building and every day that we play,” he said. “That’s exactly the attitude he showed on Sunday and Monday. He was outstanding in practice.”
Attack options under review
Dominik Szoboszlai replaced Salah on the right against West Ham, but Slott made it clear Liverpool will not reshape their long-term structure around the option. “I don’t think Dominic is the right winger for the club’s long-term future,” Slott explained. He added that the Hungarian could fill the void, but Liverpool’s model depends on specialists. “In the long term we should have wingers playing wingers, midfielders playing midfield and defenders playing defenders.”
This principle will influence selection decisions in the coming days. Salah’s potential return is a dilemma, but Slott will also have to monitor Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Joe Gomez due to recent fitness issues. Connor Bradley, Jeremy Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni remain unavailable, although Bradley could return soon after a hamstring problem.
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What’s next for Liverpool
Liverpool face an intense December and getting through the month without losing pace is Slott’s priority. The manager’s handling of Salah reflects his wider efforts to restore clarity, purpose and structure at a crucial stage of the season.