Mohamed Salah rejoins Liverpool sessions following AFCON stint

Mohamed Salah has rejoined Liverpool's training sessions on Tuesday after participating in the Africa Cup of Nations, as the team gears up for their Champions League clash against Marseille.

The Egyptian star, with a grin on his face, joined the full squad for intense drills at the training facility just before their trip to France for the fixture.

His comeback has sparked plenty of discussion, especially after his candid comments about the club in a recent interview where he felt unfairly treated.

Salah claimed Liverpool had sacrificed him publicly after he was left out of the starting lineup for three consecutive matches, and he mentioned having no personal connection with head coach Arne Slot.

However, he came off the bench during a 2-0 Premier League victory over Brighton on December 13, setting up a goal, and Slot later indicated that the matter was behind them.

The week before, the Liverpool manager expressed delight at Salah's return, keeping details of their private talks confidential, with the 33-year-old's national side ending up in fourth place at the tournament.

"I would have been pleased even with 15 forwards available if he returned, though our squad depth is not that deep right now," the Dutch coach remarked prior to their 1-1 stalemate with relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday.

Slot also noted ahead of the Anfield encounter that it was uncertain if the player would feature against Marseille the next day.

In the Champions League league stage, Liverpool sit in ninth position.

The first eight teams advance directly to the knockout phase, whereas those from ninth to 24th must go through a playoff.

Salah ranks as Liverpool's third all-time leading scorer with 250 goals across 421 outings, securing two Premier League crowns and a Champions League trophy since his 2017 move from Roma.

He inked a generous two-year extension last season, playing a key part in Liverpool's achievement of a joint-record 20th English top-division championship.

Yet this campaign, amid the team's challenges, he has only netted five times across all tournaments, appearing far from his peak form.

Liverpool's title defence hit a skid with six losses in seven games from late September.

Now, they remain undefeated over 12 matches in every competition, though they trail frontrunners Arsenal by 14 points.