The legendary Liverpool winger is back from AFCON, but many believe this could be his swansong campaign in the Premier League following a disappointing first half of the campaign
09:09, 23 Jan 2026
Mohamed Salah warms up ahead of Liverpool's game against Marseille
Joe Cole has encouraged Mohamed Salah to maximise what could be his final months at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Former midfielder Joe Cole has encouraged Mohamed Salah to grasp at what could be a “fairytale end to his Liverpool career” but has warned Arne Slot that the legendary winger will need to be managed carefully after his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah enjoyed an impressive tournament in Morocco, scoring four in six appearances, but returned with the heartbreak of missing out on silverware once again.
The winger has also endured a difficult season at club level and has managed just three open-play goals in the Premier League - a dramatic drop-off from last year’s record-breaking numbers. Salah lost his place in the team at the start of December, leading to his infamous rant in the Elland Road mixed zone.
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But after clear-the-air talks, Salah has been reintegrated by Slot, who named the 33-year-old in the starting line-up to face Marseille on Wednesday.
His performance at the Stade Velodrome offered perhaps another reminder of Salah’s levels, with the Reds’ third-highest all-time scorer not offering the same attacking thrust as Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz or Dominik Szoboszlai.
Cole, the ex-Red whose career steadily declined from 2010 until he retired in 2018, feels Salah should be handled with care.
Mohamed Salah
Salah has endured a difficult season at Liverpool(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
“First of all, you’ve got to see where he’s at physically, mentally, and emotionally,” the former England told Paddy Power.
“Being a manager at one of the elite clubs is mainly about man-managing players. This is a Mo Salah who is in a very different frame of mind to what he was six months ago. It’s going to take some managing.
“I would gently ease him back in, welcome him back to the group and remind him of how important he is and his responsibilities for the club, and then see how you go.
“Liverpool are still fighting on different fronts for trophies, so it could still be a fairytale end to his Liverpool career if he wanted it.”
Salah has made 21 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions this season and has produced five goals and four assists. Amid ongoing interest from Saudi Arabia and his disquiet at his reduced role at Liverpool, many expect Salah to move on this summer.
He managed to complete a full 90 minutes in France on Wednesday and his return offers a welcome relief for Slot, who is lacking options in the final third.
The Dutchman has also responded carefully to questions about his relationship with Salah, and insisted his spat with the winger has been put to bed.
“It says a lot about how big a professional he is that he can be away for more than a month with a different team and be so fit to play 90 for us after one day’s training,” Slot said after the midweek Champions League victory.
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“He was so close to a goal, it would usually be a goal from him, but it didn’t harm us because we scored three.”