Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah returns to the squad and comes off the bench just a week after his rant about Arne Slott
Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah’s strange side was revealed when reporters asked him to interview him again in the mixed zone, just a week after his bombshell. The Egyptian winger only stopped for reporters a few times during his time at the club, but gave a blockbuster interview at Elland Road following the draw with Leeds United.
Salah said he had no relationship with Liverpool manager Arne Slott and accused the club of throwing him under the bus after he was left out of the starting three. “To be fair, it’s very, very disappointing. I’ve done a lot for this club in the past, especially last season,” he said.
“Right now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. I feel like the club threw me under the bus. That’s how I feel. I think it’s clear that someone was trying to put all the blame on me.”
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“We got a lot of promises in the summer and I’ve been on the bench for three games so far, so I can’t say they’re keeping their promises. As I’ve said many times before, I had a good relationship with the manager and suddenly we don’t have any.”
“I don’t know why, but the way I see it, it seems like someone doesn’t want me in the club.”
As a result of his comments, Salah was left out of Liverpool’s squad to face Inter Milan in the Champions League. Slott was already under pressure given Liverpool’s disappointing performance in winning the Premier League title last season.
His decision to let Salah go came as Liverpool’s form improved and they are now unbeaten in their last five games.
Slott revealed he would hold talks with the Egyptian winger ahead of this weekend’s game against Brighton. “There’s no reason why we wouldn’t want him to stay. We’ll have discussions with Mo and the outcome of those conversations will decide how things go (Saturday).”
The conversation clearly went well for both sides, and Salah returned to the squad and was named on the bench against the Seagulls. He received a warm welcome when he came off the bench to replace the injured Joe Gomez after just 26 minutes and provided the assist for Hugo Ekitike’s second goal of the afternoon.
Salah was able to laugh off a request for another interview in the mixed zone after the match, saying with a laugh: “Second week in a row? No.”
Slott was asked to make a judgment on Salah’s performance after the match, but he did not reveal what the two sides talked about during the negotiations.
“I think he was a threat,” Slott told Sky Sports. “The first ball he touched, he almost assisted Mac Allister. He was always involved in the fact that we had Mo. It was nice to see, but it wasn’t a surprise.”
“It was an easy decision to bring him into the team. As I have said many times before, what was discussed between us will remain between us. We needed him and it was great for us that he assisted us 2-0. “This season we have been on the wrong side of the set-piece battle many times.
“For him to go to AFCON means we’re going to lose another player. We knew this before the season started. Hopefully one or two players will come back from injury.”
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