Slot Ready to Welcome Salah Back Despite Previous Rift, Says He’d Take Him “Even With 15 Attackers”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has declared he would welcome Mohamed Salah back to the club even if he had 15 attackers in his squad, as the Egypt forward prepares to conclude his Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Salah is set to feature in Egypt’s third-place play-off match against Nigeria in Morocco on Saturday, following his country’s exit from the tournament. His return to Anfield has become a significant talking point in recent weeks, particularly in light of tensions that emerged between the player and the club in early December.
The 32-year-old forward had launched a scathing attack on Liverpool in an explosive interview conducted in early December, accusing the club of throwing him “under the bus” after he was benched for three consecutive matches. Salah also revealed he had no relationship with Slot, raising concerns about his future at the club.
However, the situation appeared to ease when Salah came on as a substitute in Liverpool’s 2-0 Premier League victory against Brighton on December 13, where he provided an assist. Following that match, Slot indicated the club had moved past the controversy.
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Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Saturday fixture against struggling Burnley, Slot was asked about Salah’s impending return to Merseyside. The Dutch manager expressed clear enthusiasm about having the Egyptian international back in his squad.
“First of all, he needs to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday,” Slot said. “And then he comes back to us, and I’m happy that he comes back. Mo has been so important for this club, for me, so I’m happy that he’s back.”
The Liverpool boss went further in emphasising Salah’s value to the team, stating, “Because even if I had 15 attackers I still would have been happy if he would have come back, but that’s not our current situation. So I’m happy to have him back after an important game that he still has to play.”
Salah’s current season has been notably different from his record-breaking previous campaign. Last season, he scored 29 Premier League goals to claim the Premier League Golden Boot as Liverpool secured their 20th English league title with a dominant performance. This season, however, the forward has managed just four league goals, a significant drop in output that coincided with his public criticism of the club and his subsequent benching.
When questioned about Salah’s availability for first-team selection, Slot indicated the Egyptian would return to action next week. “Next week,” he confirmed. “We’re in talks with him, what is expected of him over there and what we expect over here. But first of all, he needs to have an important game on Saturday, and next week he will be back with us.”
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Liverpool’s schedule following the weekend includes a Champions League fixture against Roberto de Zerbi’s Marseille on Wednesday, followed by a Premier League away match at Bournemouth next weekend.
The Premier League champions endured a difficult period earlier in the season when their title defence appeared to collapse amid a disastrous run of six defeats in seven league matches starting in late September. That sequence of poor results raised serious questions about Liverpool’s ability to retain their crown and put pressure on Slot, who took over the managerial role from Jürgen Klopp.
However, Slot has since steadied the ship at Anfield, guiding the club to an unbeaten run of 11 games across all competitions. This recovery has lifted Liverpool to fourth place in the Premier League table, though they remain some distance behind the leaders.