Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz started alongside each other in the Champions League on Wednesday as the Reds registered a 3-0 win over Marseille
20:26, 23 Jan 2026
Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz playing for Liverpool against Marseille this week
Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz playing for Liverpool against Marseille this week(Image: 2024 Soccrates Images B.V.)
Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has backed Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah to perform alongside each other in the Reds' team.
Salah and Wirtz started alongside each other in the Champions League on Wednesday as the Reds registered a 3-0 win over Marseille. Prior to Salah's departure for the Africa Cup of Nations, though, there were questions around whether they could both fit into Liverpool's starting XI.
Salah did not start in any of Liverpool's five games before jetting off to compete in Afcon, with Wirtz's influence on the Liverpool team starting to grow. However, Hamann does not see why both players couldn't fit into the same team.
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"I don't see why Salah and Wirtz can’t work together," he said.
"Salah found it hard to score from open play since Christmas last year. The question is how much Salah is still capable of affecting games. He is 32 or 33 now; with offensive players, six months can make a huge difference."
Despite Hamann's belief that Wirtz and Salah could combine well together for the remainder of the season, he thinks it would be best for Liverpool and Salah if they part ways in the summer.
"Mo Salah could have gone to Saudi Arabia last season and didn't. I'm not sure he wants to go there," Hamann said. "But if you ask me today, the best solution would be to part ways. It would probably benefit him and the team.
Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann
Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
"He came out with statements I didn't really understand, and if he stays, it lingers around the camp. Every time he doesn't play, the manager gets asked why, and it becomes a distraction."
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On criticism of Salah's performances this season, Hamann added: "There have been poor performances without Salah as well, so it’s unfair to put it all on him. But Salah’s quote [in the Elland Road mixed zone] about not wanting to have to prove his worth every day struck me. That is exactly how it is.
"When you bring in players like Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz, and you have Cody Gakpo, you have to fight for your place regardless of the past.
"The main question is: is Salah prepared to sit on the bench for a few games if the manager feels someone else is better, even if it's a Champions League semi-final or final? If not, it’s probably best to part ways."