It has been a long time since Mohamed Salah has not been a shoo-in as part of a Liverpool best XI.
The Egyptian instantly commanded a place in the team upon his arrival in 2017 and has clung onto it ever since.
During that time Salah has become one of the greatest players in Liverpool history and arguably their best of the Premier League era.
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Who was your man of the match during Liverpool’s 2-0 win over West Ham?
Alexander Isak shakes hands with Arne Slot after being substituted during Liverpool's Premier League match against West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
But all good things come to an end, and during Sunday’s win over West Ham United, there was a feeling that the beginning of that ending may be arriving for Salah and Liverpool.
The 33-year-old was an unused substitute as the Reds returned to winning ways at the London Stadium, and after watching from the bench as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz inspired Liverpool to victory, Salah may be left wondering if he will ever make it back into Arne Slot’s go-to team.
Liverpool ready to move on from Mohamed Salah
Rewind just six short months and Liverpool were almost totally reliant on Salah. They then attempted to address that in the summer window, spending more than £220m on Isak and Wirtz.
So far, that spending has not been justified. But while the new duo have struggled, Salah has shown clear signs of a decline setting in.
Mohamed Salah warms up ahead of Liverpool's Premier League match against West Ham at the London Stadium
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
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Previously, the Egypt captain being left out of any Liverpool team would spark fury amongst the fanbase. On Sunday, there was a quiet acceptance that it may have been the right thing to do.
That was born out in the way the game went, with Isak scoring the crucial first goal and Wirtz running the show. The message was clear: this is the way forward for Liverpool.
Salah still has a huge role to play this season, of that there can be no doubt, but the veteran’s case will not be helped by the fact he will soon depart to play in AFCON.
Florian Wirtz’s best performance for Liverpool?
95% passing accuracy
1 chance created
1 shot on target
3 passes into the final third
3/5 duels won
Top performance!
Florian Wirtz during West Ham United v Liverpool - Premier League
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Salah could miss as many as eight matches for Liverpool, and if the Reds can hit form with Isak, Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike playing well, he is going to have a fight on his hands to get back in once he returns.
Salah must send reminder against Sunderland
Although Slot chose to leave him out on Sunday – and reaped the rewards of that – it still feels probable that the Egyptian King comes back in against Sunderland in midweek.
On paper, Salah is still available for two more Liverpool matches – the clash against the Black Cats and Saturday’s visit to Leeds.
However, Egypt may still call him up earlier, meaning Salah misses the trip to West Yorkshire.
As a result, it is absolutely vital for the No. 11 that he gets on the score sheet, or at least puts in a very good performance, against Sunderland.
If he fails to send a reminder of what he’s all about, Salah may disappear from Liverpool’s supporters collective memory for a little while. If they hit their straps while he’s away, he may never fully come back in.
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