Liverpool: Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has expressed his delight at the imminent return of Mohamed Salah, underlining the forward’s continued importance to the club as the Reds push for consistency across competitions.
Salah is set to rejoin Liverpool next week following Egypt’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations. The Pharaohs were knocked out in the semifinals by Senegal, but the 33-year-old will remain with Egypt for Saturday’s third-place playoff against Nigeria in Casablanca.
Speaking ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, Slot was unequivocal about Salah’s value.
“I am happy he comes back,” Slot said. “Mo has been so important for this club and for me. Even if I had many attacking options, I would still be happy to see him return.”
Salah’s AFCON campaign came after a turbulent spell at club level. Last month, the forward made headlines with candid comments suggesting he felt “thrown under the bus” during Liverpool’s inconsistent run, hinting at a strained relationship with the new manager. The fallout saw him left out of a UEFA Champions League clash before he returned in a 2–0 league win over Brighton, a result Slot insisted helped put the matter to rest.
With Salah unavailable for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Burnley at Anfield, attention has already turned to his potential involvement in next week’s Champions League fixture against Marseille.
“We are in talks about what is expected of him with Egypt and with us,” Slot said. “He has an important game on Saturday and then he will be back. We’re discussing the Marseille game now.”
Liverpool enter the Burnley match on an 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions and will be aiming to stretch that sequence further. Yet Slot remains demanding, stressing that results alone are not enough.
“Ideally it’s not 11 games unbeaten, it’s 11 wins,” he said. “We are in a much better place than we were earlier in the season, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.”
As Salah prepares to return, Liverpool hope the reunion will fuel a stronger second half of the season — with harmony restored and silverware firmly in sight.
Source: ESPN
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