Paul Ince has had his say on the future of Mohamed Salah, who was left out of Liverpool’s squad for the midweek Champions League win over Inter following his explosive interview
An update on Mohamed Salah is expected when Arne Slot holds his latest Liverpool press conference on Friday. The subject of whether the third highest goalscorer in Anfield history will be back in the squad is sure to come up.
Salah was omitted from the 19-man party that travelled to Italy on Monday for the following evening’s Champions League clash with Inter at the San Siro after his explosive interview following last Saturday’s 3-3 Premier League draw at Leeds United.
After being named as a substitute for the third match running, the Egyptian superstar claimed he was being thrown under the bus by Liverpool and that his relationship with head coach Slot had broken down.
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The decision was then taken to leave Salah out of the squad in midweek and it remains to be seen if he will return for this Saturday’s Premier League clash at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Much could depend on the outcome of any further talks between the player and the manager.
In the unprompted interview, Salah had hinted that the visit of the Seagulls could be his last game for the club, where he has won every major honour across eight full goal-laden seasons.
He will meet up with his Egypt international team-mates next week ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations and will not return to Merseyside until January, by which stage the transfer window would have opened.
The Reds did show they can cope without their talisman by producing an excellent performance to win 1-0 at last season’s Champions League finalists Inter.
But for former Liverpool captain Paul Ince, he hopes that Salah’s absence is merely temporary and not permanent.
“I certainly hope Mohamed Salah has not played his last game for Liverpool,” said the 58-year-old, speaking to the Covers.com World Cup betting team.
“If he has played his last game, that’s a real shame. When you think about the eight years that he’s given to Liverpool and the love that he has for the club and the fans have for him, to tarnish that would leave a black mark.
“A lot has been said on the topic, everyone has their own opinion, but I personally feel that he’s got a point in what he’s saying.
“But it’s something that should have been said behind closed doors, there’s no reason for him to say these things in public. Particularly when you consider the situation Liverpool have been in the last two to three months, losing so many games.”
Ince joined the Reds in the summer of 1997 after two seasons in Serie A with Inter, who he signed for after winning six major trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
And he continued: “The last thing the club need is a superstar coming out and rocking the boat. If there’s an issue, it should be dealt with indoors.
“That’s how we would have dealt with it at Manchester United. If we’d done that under Sir Alex Ferguson, he’d have gone absolutely bananas.
“But times have changed, players seem to think if they’ve got an issue, they can air it out in public. It’s down to the club now to get things straightened out.
“Every good team needs a Mohamed Salah, he’s still a great player who can score goals. He’s 33 but age is not as significant as it was in the past.
“The game at Inter Milan worked in Liverpool’s favour, because Inter suited Liverpool’s style of play – they sat deep and didn’t attack much, it wasn’t the greatest of matches. I was actually quite disappointed in Inter, I thought they would have shown a lot more.
“There are not many players who can do what Salah does, he draws opposition players towards him and that leaves space for his team-mates. That makes him so great – similar to Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.”
