Muhammad Salah became one of the central figures in the most heated storyline of the first half of the 2025-2026 season after the Liverpool star spoke publicly about his lack of playing time during the campaign. Now participating in the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, Head coach of the Red Devils Arne Slot has issued its final judgment on the situation involving the attacker.
After being left as an unused substitute against Leeds United, Salah responded fervently with a blunt comment: “I don’t know why I’m on the couch. It feels like the club is throwing me under the bus.The Egyptian was then left out of the squad against Inter Milan before returning in the Premier League match against Brighton, where he received a warm welcome from fans, who applauded and gave him a standing ovation.
In an interview published on Wednesday, December 25 with Air sportsWhen asked Slot whether the situation with Salah had calmed down, his answer was immediate: “Yes, I think when I used him again in the team it was already a sign that we have moved onand I brought it with me on the first change I made.“
To address the end of the saga, Slot also emphasized the need to shift focus to the immediate future. “We have moved on, but now he is at the AFCON and has important matches there. So it’s fair to him and to the Egyptian team that we don’t talk about him so much here when it comes to that Liverpooland that’s fair, because we also have to play a lot of games,he added.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah during the Brighton match.
Slot is currently participating in AFCON and underlined the importance of solving the problem before the tournament started: “I think it is in the best interest of us, him and Egypt that we have already demonstrated with actions that we have moved forward with. after his interview in Leeds, and now he needs his full focus on Egypt, and we need our full focus here.”
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When could Salah return to play for Liverpool?
Mohamed Salah is one of several Premier League stars who have left for international duty to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations. With league play continuing in his absence, questions remain over how many games the Egyptian striker could miss before returning to Merseyside.
Egypt is currently second in Group B with three pointsconnected to group leaders South Africawhile Zimbabwe And Angola remain at the bottom without a point. Salah’s side are seen as strong candidates to progress to the knockout rounds, which would extend his time away from Liverpool.
The AFCON Round of 16 will take place between January 3 and 6, followed by the quarter-finals on January 9 and 10, the semi-finals on January 14 and the third place match and final on January 17 and 18 respectively. Depending on Egypt’s performance, Salah could miss up to eight games for Liverpoolwho may return for the Champions League match against Olympique Marseille on January 21, a significant absence for a team that has struggled to maintain consistency this season.
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