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Mohamed Salah to Return to Liverpool After AFCON, Confirms Slot
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah will rejoin his club after finishing his Africa Cup of Nations campaign with Egypt.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot confirmed he is happy to welcome Salah back, even though the squad already has several attackers. Salah will play in Egypt’s third-place match against Nigeria in Morocco on Saturday, after losing the semifinal to Senegal.
Salah’s return follows a tense period at Liverpool. In December, he criticized the club, saying he had been “thrown under the bus” after being benched for three consecutive games. He also said he had no relationship with Slot.
The forward missed Liverpool’s Champions League match against Inter Milan, and speculation grew about a move to the Saudi Pro League.
Salah returned as a substitute in a 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton on December 13, providing an assist. Slot said the club had moved past the controversy.
At a press conference before Liverpool’s match against Burnley, Slot commented on Salah’s return:
“First, he needs to play an important game for Egypt on Saturday. Then he comes back to us. I’m happy he’s returning. Mo has been very important for this club, and I’m happy he’s back. Even if I had 15 attackers, I would still welcome him.”
Salah scored 29 Premier League goals last season, helping Liverpool win their 20th league title. This season, he has scored four league goals.
Slot added when Salah might play for Liverpool:
“Next week. We are discussing what he will do there and what we expect here. He needs to focus on Saturday, then he will be back with us next week.”
Liverpool will face Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday before traveling to Bournemouth in the Premier League. After a rough start to the season with six defeats in seven league matches, Slot has stabilized the team. Liverpool is now unbeaten in 11 consecutive games across all competitions.
