Mohamed Salah was left unused on the bench during Liverpool's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and appeared "frustrated" after the result
10:11, 09 Apr 2026
Mohamed Salah walks from TNT interview after not coming on against PSG
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Mohamed Salah was in no mood for interviews after failing to come off the bench during Liverpool's defeat at PSG(Image: TNT Sports)
Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah wasn't in the mood for interviews despite a fleeting appearance on TNT Sports following a 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The Reds icon remained on the bench throughout Wednesday's Champions League humbling at the Parc des Princes.
Arne Slot chose not to utilise the Egyptian despite his team succumbing to defeat in France. And it left numerous supporters questioning why the boss would keep one of his most gifted players out, albeit struggling for form, despite the chastening outcome.
Salah stepped away from his warm-down and made his way to TNT's pitchside desk to greet Liverpool legends Steven Gerrard and Steve McManaman, as well as shake hands with presenter Laura Woods. And Gerrard empathised with the winger's challenging situation.
"[He'll be] frustrated," said the Kop icon. "He'll be sitting there thinking he'd back himself to influence this game and improve proceedings, certainly from an attacking point of view.
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"He'll be a little bit sad and frustrated. But credit to him because he's just stayed behind there and done some extra running."
"In his mind he's already got his mind on Fulham [whom Liverpool face on Saturday] and he's doing extra work, which shows the pro and the mentality that you're dealing with."
Supporters may question the reasoning, but Slot clarified after the match that he held Salah back as a way to limit the damage in Paris. Goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia dictated the flow of the evening, and the Liverpool manager was determined to ensure his team didn't ship any more.
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"In last part of game it was more about surviving than us having a chance to score," said the Dutchman when asked about Salah's omission. "You never know, as last season we scored five minutes before the end through Harvey Elliott when I took Mo off.
"We had 20-25 minutes defending in the box, I think it's better to save his energy for the games coming up in the coming weeks.
Mohamed Salah
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Mohamed Salah appeared saddened to have not been called upon during the loss in Paris(Image: Liverpool FC, Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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"You think you can do better if you press them high and force them into mistakes. But we were in survival mode for large parts of the game. But maybe also in the period of season we are in survival mode."
Based on those remarks, Salah will likely be given his opportunity in the second leg at Anfield next Tuesday. And the Reds will require all the attacking firepower they can muster after failing to register a single shot on target in the opening salvo.
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