Mo Salah made a quiet return to the Liverpool starting XI on Wednesday as his future at the club continues to be shrouded in doubt.
Before the Champions League clash with Marseille, Salah had not been named in a Reds’ XI since November 26th.
But if he was aiming to put in a statement performance and nail down his position in the Liverpool attack, then Salah failed to do it.
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What did you think of Salah’s return to the starting XI?
It was his first start since November 26th 😱
Mohamed Salah puts his hand on his head after missing a chance during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against Marseille at Stade Velodrome (Getty Images/Justin Setterfield).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
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There were some flashes of excellence, including a brilliantly improvised effort which looped onto the top of the goal off his thigh but, generally, the 33-year-old was below par at Stade Velodrome, badly missing a one-on-one chance to grab a comeback goal.
Recent reports have suggested that Salah will not leave Liverpool in January, and with nine days left in the window that does seem especially likely. According to former Premier League striker Troy Deeney, however, the Reds should protect themselves from an ‘ugly’ situation and move their No. 11 on immediately.
Although his performance was not particularly good, it was still nice to see Salah back in the Liverpool team on Wednesday. Fans will now hope that whatever issues he and Arne Slot had have now been resolved.
Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo after Liverpool’s 3-0 win, though, Deeney claimed that the situation still needs sorting out sooner rather than later, ideally with Salah leaving.
Mohamed Salah during Olympique de Marseille v Liverpool FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
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“I think with the noise surrounding him, the ego surrounding him, where Liverpool are trying to move on, I just think it’s not going to work long-term for the pair of them,” said the pundit.
“They need to just part ways now. I’d like to see it be dealt with quicker rather than later before it gets ugly.”
Asked whether he meant during the summer transfer window, Deeney insisted that a sale this month would be better for everybody.
PROVE ME WRONG: FSG need to get rid of Slot and do EVERYTHING they can to keep Salah!
Mohamed Salah prior to Manchester City FC v Liverpool FC - Premier League
Credit: Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
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“I mean in January,” he replied. “I think so, because everyone’s forgetting it was only just before Christmas where it was all bad, it was all terrible, the club have betrayed him. They played one game, let him say goodbye to everyone, let him go to AFCON, now he comes back and you’re starting to see the rumbles again. This 13 games unbeaten, he hasn’t been a huge part of it. That’s all I’m saying.”
Could Salah still see out his contract with Liverpool?
While all the recent talk and expectation has been that Salah is likely to leave Liverpool in 2026, it should be remembered that the Egyptian does have a further year left on his contract at Anfield.
When he signed that deal in April, Liverpool – and Salah himself – will probably have been fully expecting him to see that out.
If the issues between Slot, Salah and the club itself can be ironed out, then there is no real reason that that cannot still happen.
In terms of performance, he is not where he needs to be right now, but if he can get a run back in the team over the coming weeks and months, you wouldn’t bet against him changing that.
For now, a summer exit feels like the most probable scenario despite Deeney’s calls for a change earlier, but we wouldn’t rule out Salah staying another season either. It’s all up for grabs.
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