Mohamed Salah will return to Liverpool after playing for Egypt in Saturday’s third-place play-off against Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says he is happy to have Mohamed Salah back after AFCON (Image: Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Arne Slot has expressed his delight at the imminent return of Mohamed Salah and revealed talks with the Liverpool forward over potentially being available for next week’s Champions League clash at Marseille. Salah saw his hopes of winning the Africa Cup of Nations dashed on Wednesday when Egypt were beaten by Senegal in the semi-finals with former Reds team-mate Sadio Mane scoring the only goal.
Egypt finish their tournament on Saturday with a third-place play-off against Nigeria with Salah expected to return to England soon afterwards.
And having not featured for Liverpool for more than a month, there is a chance the 33-year-old will be involved immediately for Wednesday’s trip to Marseille.
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“First of all, he needs to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday and then he comes back to us,” said Slot.
“We are in talks with him about what is expected of him over there, what is expected over here. But first of all he needs to have an important game on Saturday and next week he will be back.
“Marseille? That is something we are talking about together now.”
FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo’s dedicated LFC Facebook page With Salah out of Saturday’s Premier League game at home to Burnley, it means he will have missed seven Liverpool matches due to his international commitments.
The Egyptian courted controversy at the start of December when claiming he was being scapegoated for Liverpool’s poor form and had no relationship with Slot when speaking after being benched for a third successive game in the dramatic 3-3 draw at Leeds United.
The forward was subsequently dropped from the squad for the Champions League win at Inter Milan, but subsequently held clear-the-air talks with Slot and was back as substitute for the 2-0 home victory over Brighton later that week during which he assisted a goal for Hugo Ekitike.
With Alexander Isak out or several months and Conor Bradley sidelined for the remainder of the season, Liverpool are short of options both up front and down the right flank.
And Slot said: “I am happy that he comes back. Mo has been so important for this club, for me, so I am happy that he is back.
“Even if I had 15 attackers I still would have been happy if he came back but that is not our current situation.
“I’m happy to have him back after an important game that he still has to play.
“What happens between Mo and me, on the phone or over here, stays between the two of us and I don’t think it is necessary for me to share all the private conversations I have.”
