Mohamed Salah made his return to the Liverpool squad against Marseille in midweek.
It, of course, comes after Arne Slot decided to remove the Egyptian from the Reds’ starting eleven prior to his departure for the AFCON.
Salah hit out at Liverpool amid a lack of minutes after the 3-3 draw with Leeds United in December.
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He was then brought off the bench against Brighton and Hove Albion and provided an assist before going on to spend a month with Egypt.
Who’s your XI to beat Bournemouth on Saturday?
Does Salah start again?
Liverpool Predicted XI vs Bournemouth
RTK Predicted XI vs Bournemouth
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But the 33-year-old hasn’t started a Premier League game since the 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on November 22, 2025, and that may not change in Liverpool’s meeting with Bournemouth.
Jermain Defoe thinks Mohamed Salah won’t start for Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Speaking on the latest episode of the Premier League Productions’ Team Talks, former striker Jermain Defoe discussed Salah.
When doing so, he suggested that the winger will not come straight back into the team this weekend.
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He said: “I think Wirtz now, you know, he sort of like looks sharp now. Ekitike I think he’s unbelievable. I think for me, he was the one that really excited me.
“I don’t think he’ll [Salah] come straight back in.
“Even Gakpo, you know, on the best version of Gakpo, you know, is a handful, scores goals. I don’t think he’ll come straight back into the team if I’m being honest.”
Slot is backing Liverpool for a top-four finish. Where do you think the Reds will end 25/26?
Slot predicted Liverpool will earn Champions League football in his pre-Bournemouth press conference!
Arne Slot prior to Liverpool v Leeds United - Premier League
Credit: Liverpool FC/Getty Images
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Mohamed Salah record vs Bournemouth
Whether Defoe is correct in his prediction remains to be seen, but if he does feature, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the ex-Chelsea man score.
Throughout his prolific career, Salah has scored the joint most goals against Tottenham (16 in 24 games) and Manchester United (16 in 18 games).
However, his record against Bournemouth is also very impressive, finding the back of the net on 12 occasions in just 13 matches while also providing two assists.
It is the best goal-per-game ratio Salah has versus any club he’s scored against at least 10 times.
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