In the aftermath of Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against Sunderland, Virgil van Dijk reflected on Mo Salah being put on the bench by saying he doesn’t think anyone is undroppable.
Virgil van Dijk says nobody is undroppable
Salah has been in the spotlight having started on the bench for Liverpool’s last two matches.
As the highest-paid player in the squad it came as a surprise despite his poor form, but captain Van Dijk says he is “not worried” about the situation.
“He is still a fantastic player and we still have to remember there is a reason why he has been so successful at the club and we have to respect that,” the skipper told media including the Liverpool Echo.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, December 3, 2025: Liverpool's substitute Mohamed Salah on the bench before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Sunderland AFC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“I need him around as one of the leaders. I’m not worried. He’s disappointed but that’s absolutely normal as if you’re not disappointed when you’re not playing two games in a row then there is an issue as well. But it’s onto the next now.
“That’s always been the case [that no-one is undroppable]. It’s not like you have unlimited credit, everyone has to perform. Mo has been doing that but the manager made that decision in the last two games.
“We all want the best for the club.”
Salah goes away to play for Egypt at AFCON following Liverpool’s game against Brighton on December 13. Perhaps the time away in a different setup will do him good.
Today’s Liverpool FC News
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 16, 2025: Liverpool's Jayden Danns during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and Atlético de Madrid. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
• Young striker Jayden Danns is head of schedule in his hamstring recovery – he “is back on the grass doing ball work and could be back fit early in the new year,” report the Mail
• Arne Slot has said he thinks Cody Gakpo struggled against Sunderland “because it was hard for him to dominate the one-v-one or get crosses in” – he put one accurate cross in and completed zero dribbles
• According to the *Telegraph*‘s Jonathan Northcroft, Liverpool are internally viewing Salah‘s poor form as “a blip” and soon “there will come a reversion to the mean” – fingers crossed!
More from This Is Anfield
With Liverpool dropping yet more points against Sunderland, Sam Millne, Abigail Rudkin and The Ragamuffins’ David John Jaggs debated the key topics to come from the match:
Jaggs: “I think Slot has set us up to be more solid in this run of games and that has taken away some of our attacking impetus, but when confidence is understandably on the floor, getting back to basics is where we’re at, I guess?
“Isak did look a little bit anonymous again which is a worry. I wonder what Haaland was like and what he was perceived to be for Man City during their extended funk last season, albeit as someone who already has an incredible amount of credit in the bank.”
READ: Liverpool’s red arrows are a thing of the past – Alexander Isak ‘didn’t have a sniff’
Elsewhere in the football world today
Trent Alexander-Arnold Real Madrid (Peter Byrne/PA)
• Trent Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out for another two months after suffering a thigh injury for Real Madrid – he has made just 11 appearances this season
• Arsenal have agreed to sign Edwin and Holger Quintero from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle, with the twins set to join when they turn 18 years old in August 2027
• Former goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has revealed he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer, saying that “this morning completed seven-and-a-half weeks of radiation therapy” – get well soon, Shaka
On this day
MADRID, SPAIN - Wednesday, March 15, 2023: Liverpool's Diogo Jota lines-up before the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg game between Real Madrid CF and Liverpool FC at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. Madrid won 1-0 (6-2 on aggregate). (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
December 4 would have been Diogo Jota‘s 29th birthday.
He signed for Liverpool when he was 23 years old and made 182 appearances for the Reds, winning the league, the FA Cup and two League Cups before passing away in a car crash with his brother, Andre Silva, in July 2025.
We’re thinking of his family today.