Image Credits: Imago Images
Mohamed Salah has returned to Liverpool duty following a bittersweet Africa Cup of Nations campaign that ended in disappointment for Egypt. The Pharaohs’ tournament concluded with back-to-back defeats—first a crushing 1-0 semi-final loss to Senegal, courtesy of former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mané’s late strike, followed by a penalty shootout defeat to Nigeria in the third-place playoff.
Despite the quick turnaround, Salah wasted no time rejoining his club, training on Tuesday and earning his place in the 20-man travelling squad that flew to Marseille for Wednesday evening’s crucial Champions League fixture. Liverpool manager Arne Slot offered a significant hint about Salah’s involvement, suggesting the Egyptian forward could make his first start since November’s defeat to PSV Eindhoven.
“Let’s see for the lineup tomorrow if you still think there’s an issue,” Slot teased reporters, adding that he’s “happy to have him back” and emphasizing that having Salah available when Liverpool are creating chances is “really helpful”. With the Reds needing a result to secure a top-eight finish and avoid extra knockout rounds, Salah’s return could prove decisive in southern France this evening.
However, it seems the Egyptian himself had something to do with the quick turnaround back into Slot’s team. According to the Athletic’s James Pearce, the 33-year-old told Arne Slot that he didn’t need a break after his exploits with his nation this month:
“Salah had made it clear he didn’t need a break after five weeks on international duty in Morocco ended with defeat to Nigeria on penalties in last Saturday’s third-place play-off, and that was music to Slot’s ears.”
He added: “Dialogue between Hughes and Salah’s representative Ramy Abbas remained open during AFCON. Liverpool have always been adamant they had no desire to sell in January as they regarded his spell out of the starting line-up as a temporary measure rather than a sign their long-time talisman has been relegated to the status of squad player.”
There would be nothing better for the Reds fanbase if Salah returns to the line-up this evening and hits the form that fired Liverpool to a Premier League title last season. For now, we will all be holding thumbs.
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