Mohamed Salah’s potential involvement in Liverpool vs Brighton has become a major topic of conversation going into the weekend’s action.
Salah hit out at Arne Slot and the club after he was selected on the bench for a third game in a row last weekend.
Jamie Carragher was unhappy with the Egyptian, and Thierry Henry echoed similarly negative views.
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On the back of his outburst, Salah was left at home when Liverpool travelled to Italy for a Champions League meeting with Inter Milan.
Now, Slot has been speaking about the 33-year-old in his pre-Brighton press conference on December 12.
How do you think this conversation will go? Wrong answers only
Mohamed Salah Arne Slot conversation
Crunch time for Salah
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The decision to drop Mohamed Salah was a group effort
After confirming his plans to speak with Salah ahead of Brighton, the Dutch tactician was asked about his axe in midweek.
The forward posted a photo of himself alone at Liverpool’s training ground while the rest of his team were preparing for a clash at the San Siro.
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Now, Slot has revealed that the club as a whole decided it would be best to leave Salah out of the Inter tie.
Speaking during Friday’s press conference, he said: “Who made the call? I think we decided as a club and I was part of that, not to take him to Inter. I am always in contact with them with lineup and squads, that is always left to me.
“I talk to Richard Hughes more than Michael Edwards, we speak about many things. Do I want him to stay? Another way of asking, but the next time I speak about Mo will be with him. I see no reason why I don’t want him to stay.
“It’s useless asking this question…unbeaten in four? This club has won a lot of games with Mo, so that is the answer [for feeling vindicated].”
Fill in the blank: The first name on Arne Slot’s teamsheet vs Brighton must be —
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool celebrates with Curtis Jones of Liverpool after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Liverpool FC at Frankfurt Stadion
Photo by Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images
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Mohamed Salah has opened door for new Liverpool partnership
While Salah’s outburst has obviously caused an unwanted tension at the club, his absence from the Inter tie allowed Slot to test a new-look frontline.
Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike played together in a 4-4-2 diamond system, with the former drifting out wide to the left throughout the fixture.
Isak had a poor outing in Italy, but speaking ahead of Brighton, Slot still thinks the duo can work well together once they find that connection.
He said: “What we all saw, which is normal, the more they play, the more they will adapt and the better they will cooperate [Isak and Ekitike].
“The other two 9s on the pitch for Inter were more used to playing with each.
“It’s the second time they have played together and I think we will see more of this in the future. Alex got a knock in the first half, so let’s see if he is able to start tomorrow.”
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