Salah dropped by Liverpool for Inter Milan clash after outburst
Mohamed Salah has been omitted from Liverpool's lineup for the Champions League fixture against Inter Milan following the Egyptian forward's outspoken comments about his manager Arne Slot's handling of him.
Despite appearing cheerful during training with the senior squad earlier that day, Salah was absent from the team list Liverpool revealed on Monday.
On Saturday, Salah expressed feeling like Liverpool had "thrown him under the bus" and revealed that his bond with Slot had ended after being benched for a third straight match in the 3-3 stalemate with Leeds.
During what has been a subpar campaign by his usual benchmarks, the 33 year old was not even brought on as a replacement at Elland Road.
"I have mentioned several times that I enjoyed a solid rapport with the manager, yet suddenly that connection is gone," Salah stated to journalists over the weekend after another spell on the sidelines.
"I cannot explain the reason, but from my perspective, it appears that certain individuals at the club do not want me here.
"It feels as though the club has cast me under the bus. That is my current sentiment. It is evident that somebody aimed to pin all the fault on me."
Reports indicate that Salah's exclusion from the Italy journey was endorsed completely by Slot, although the club has not pursued any official punishment against him.
This temporary removal from the team is viewed as beneficial for everyone concerned, considering the tone and moment of his statements.
Salah's explosive statements have fuelled rumours that Liverpool might offload him during the January transfer period.
The attacker has been repeatedly associated with a potential switch to the Saudi Pro League in the past two seasons.
Following next weekend's Premier League encounter at home versus Brighton, Salah will head off to represent Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Shadow of his former self
Having joined from Roma in 2017, Salah ranks as Liverpool's third leading scorer ever, with 250 goals across 420 outings for the team.
He holds the record as the highest earning player in club history after penning an extension in April, and was instrumental in securing two Premier League crowns plus a Champions League victory throughout his memorable tenure on Merseyside.
However, Salah has appeared far from his peak this term amid Liverpool's difficulties, the defending Premier League winners now sitting ninth in the standings, managing only four goals from 13 league outings.
He lost his place in the starting eleven for Champions League encounters with Galatasaray and Eintracht Frankfurt at the beginning of the season, marking the initial signs of Slot's impatience with his dip in performance and insufficient defensive contributions.
Salah's most recent Liverpool start came in the 4-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven on November 26, and he has not scored since his effort against Aston Villa early in November.
His surprising tirade threatened to challenge Slot's leadership just as he attempts to pull the side from a downturn that includes only four victories in the previous 15 fixtures.
Salah's unavailability further compounds Slot's challenges in selection, with Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, and Wataru Endo also sidelined by injury concerns and not making the trip.
Consequently, Slot could only assemble a trimmed 19 player group for the journey to Milan.
Slot along with Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker are scheduled to speak to the media at the San Siro before Tuesday's contest with Inter.