Arne Slot insists he does not want to distract Mohamed Salah during his time at the Africa Cup of Nations with any talks over his situation at Liverpool.
From Slot’s point of view, the rift between himself and his No. 11 is resolved after bringing Salah back into the squad against Brighton.
That substitute appearance, which brought an assist for Hugo Ekitike‘s second goal in a 2-0 win, marked the 33-year-old’s last for the club in 2025.
Salah has now joined up with the Egypt squad for the mid-season AFCON and will miss at least three games for Liverpool including Saturday’s trip to Tottenham.
And speaking ahead of the clash in north London, Slot explained his stance on Salah and whether they would speak during the tournament.
“I said last week, actions speak louder than words,” he told reporters.
“We moved on, he was in the squad and he was the first substitution I made.
“Now he’s at the AFCON, playing big games for himself and also for his country, so I think it’s fair to them that all the focus is, for him, over there.
“But definitely also for us, because are going to play some very important games.
“There should not be any distractions from me saying anything about his time here at Liverpool, because as I said, we’ve moved on after the Leeds interview and he played against Brighton.
“Now he’s there, so it’s fair for the country and for him and also for us to talk, for us, about Tottenham and other games, and for them to be fully focused on their tournament.”
Mohamed Salah Egypt (Sebo47 / Alamy Stock Photo)
Salah will kick off Egypt’s group stage with a clash with Zimbabwe on Monday night, before meetings with South Africa (Dec 26) and Angola (Dec 29) later on in Group B.
If they progress to the knockouts, the forward could miss up to five more games for Liverpool, with AFCON running to January 18.
Egypt’s AFCON fixtures on Channel 4
Egypt vs. Zimbabwe – 8pm, Dec 22 – 4Seven / Streaming
Egypt vs. South Africa – 3pm, Dec 26 – Channel 4
Angola vs. Egypt – 4pm, Dec 29 – 4Seven / Streaming
Clubs in the Saudi Pro League remain interested in signing Salah, along with sides in MLS, but there is no intention to sell in the January transfer window.