Arne Slot Uncertain if Mohamed Salahs Liverpool Era Has Ended
On Monday Arne Slot confessed he was unsure whether Mohamed Salah would appear for Liverpool again after the Egyptian forward was omitted from the teams Champions League match against Inter Milan.
Salah stayed behind in England ahead of Tuesdays game at the San Siro due to intense backlash against Liverpool manager Slot which followed his exclusion from the starting lineup for a third straight match during a 3-3 stalemate with Leeds.
The 33 year old expressed feeling "thrown under the bus" by the club and claimed he no longer shares a bond with Slot leading to speculation that Salah might leave in January even though he extended his deal in April.
When questioned if Salah who netted 250 goals for Liverpool since joining from Roma in 2017 had featured in his final match for the club Slot replied: "I have no clue."
"I cannot respond to that query right now" Slot continued.
"He is entitled to his emotions but not to voice them publicly through the media."
Salah who did not even come off the bench at Elland Road plans to head to the Africa Cup of Nations following next weekends Premier League home fixture versus Brighton.
He delivered his pointed remarks amid a challenging campaign for both himself and Liverpool.
The Reds have secured victory in only four of their 15 outings across all tournaments and occupy 13th position in the Champions League with nine points following a 4 1 home defeat to PSV Eindhoven in their latest European contest.
Salah played a pivotal part in Liverpools two Premier League successes and one Champions League victory over his storied tenure on Merseyside.
Shadow of his former self
However this term amid Liverpools difficulties the Premier League title holders languish in ninth spot he has resembled a diminished version of his peak self managing merely four strikes in 13 league outings.
"I am not sure why but it appears to me as if somebody at the club does not want me here I believe it is evident that someone aimed to pin all the criticism on me" Salah enigmatically stated to journalists over the weekend.
Salah lost his place in the starting eleven for Champions League fixtures against Galatasaray and Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of the season marking the initial signs of Slots frustration with his subpar performances and limited defensive contributions.
His most recent Liverpool start came versus PSV on November 26 and he has yet to score since his goal against Aston Villa early in November.
His public display threatened to erode Slots standing at a moment when the manager seeks to pull the squad from a downturn encompassing just four wins in the past 15 games.
"Various players will hold diverse views on the matter and that is fine" remarked Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker who expressed hope that Salah "plays again for the club".
"As his colleagues and mates we wish the optimal outcome for him but as members of Liverpool FC we prioritise the clubs interests too so we seek a beneficial resolution for all involved."
Salaahs unavailability compounds Slots on field challenges as Cody Gakpo Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo also skipped the trip owing to injury concerns.
Consequently Slot brought a shrunken 19 player group to Milan.
Marcus Thuram noted he expects resistance from Liverpool against his Inter team which holds fourth in the Champions League standings with 12 points from five games.
"Many may view this as an ideal opportunity to play Liverpool yet perhaps that is misguided" cautioned the French forward.
"We will confront a strong side featuring excellent talents so it falls to us to persist with our recent approach and elevate it further."