Mohamed Salah reacted exactly as you would imagine after he was taken out of the Liverpool team to face West Ham United, Arne Slot says — with the Reds boss facing a big decision on the Egyptian midweek.
With Florian Wirtz excelling as the number 10 and Dominik Szoboszlai doing well from the right, Liverpool looked much better balanced with Salah on the bench. But with its star man capable of scoring a huge volume of goals at his best, it remains the case that Slot will be looking to find a way of playing that suits everyone.
Wirtz and Alexander Isak will not be able to play 90 minutes against Sunderland and then Leeds this week with their minutes being managed, and Salah will get the chance to remind everyone of his worth.
And Slot has outlined how the Liverpool number 11 reacted to the news that he would be among the substitutes for the trip to West Ham, where he wasn't even called upon from the bench.
"That is a fair assumption (that he was disappointed not to start) and a normal reaction from a player that is good enough to play for us," Slot said in his pre-Sunderland press conference.
"I say it mildly because he has been so outstanding for this club for so many years and will be for us in the future.
Mohamed Salah and Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
Mohamed Salah and Liverpool head coach Arne Slot. (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
"Of course, a player is not happy he isn’t playing. He was not the only one who wasn’t happy he wasn’t starting, I can tell you — and that’s normal.
"But the way he behaved is what you would expect from the professional he is. He was very supportive of his teammates, handled himself really well during the day, and yesterday in the session as well.
"You cannot be a player that’s available every three days and play at those high standards if you go with your emotions. But Mo is so disciplined, and he knows what he has to do to stay fit.
"No matter if he plays well, doesn’t play or if he doesn’t play he will always be that top professional. That is what he’s been in the last few days."
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Against Sunderland on Wednesday, Salah could find himself back in the starting XI. There is an argument that a fired up version of the player — who will depart for AFCON in a couple of weeks — could even be exactly what is needed to get him going again.
Before the weekend, Salah last sat on the bench for the entirety of a Premier League game in 2020. Never before has he been named on the bench for two successive league games during his entire time at Liverpool.
Liverpool.com says: Salah will be determined to make a positive impression when he returns to the team, whether that is against Sunderland or Leeds.
While there has been lots of talk about him not playing well of late, if the rest of the players around him are improved and in a confident mood, that will help. If Wirtz can carry on creating and Isak scores again, that can leave the pressure of Salah in a period where he has clearly been struggling.