Slot ready to welcome Salah back at Liverpool
Return after international duty
Liverpool are preparing for Mohamed Salah’s return following the conclusion of Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign. The forward has one remaining fixture to play before heading back to England, with his club future again in focus after a turbulent spell.
According to AFP, Salah is expected to feature in Egypt’s third place play off against Nigeria in Morocco on Saturday before rejoining Liverpool next week.
Slot downplays tension
Speaking at a pre match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League meeting with Burnley, Slot stressed there are no obstacles to Salah re entering the 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."
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Squad numbers not a concern
Slot made clear that competition for places would not affect his stance on Salah’s return, reinforcing the player’s standing within the squad.
"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," he said.
"So I'm happy to have him back after an important game that he still has to play."
Salah, now 33, has not started a match for Liverpool since November and was benched for three consecutive games prior to leaving for AFCON.
Private conversations remain private
The situation surrounding Salah intensified in December when he publicly criticised the club, saying he had been thrown "under the bus" and claiming there was no relationship between himself and Slot.
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Slot confirmed that discussions have taken place but declined to elaborate.
"I think what happens between Mo and me on our phone or over here stays between the two of us," he said.
"I don't think it's necessary for me to share all the private conversations I have either on the phone or here with any of my players."
Momentum building at Liverpool
Salah made a brief return to action before AFCON, coming off the bench in a 2 to 0 league win over Brighton on December 13, where he registered an assist.
According to AFP, Slot expects Salah to be back with the squad next week as Liverpool continue a strong run of form. The club are unbeaten in 11 matches across all competitions and face Marseille in the Champions League before a league trip to Bournemouth.
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"So we are just waiting for a moment where we are, because we're doing well, but where we can kickstart our season even more than we've done in the recent 11 games," Slot said.
Sources, AFP
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