Liverpool’s decision to leave Mohamed Salah on the bench against PSG raised plenty of eyebrows given the scale of the occasion.
Arne Slot explained the selection by suggesting his side were in ‘survival mode’ against the European champions, implying the game state simply didn’t suit Salah’s introduction.
However, according to pundit Paul Merson, that explanation may not tell the full story. The former Arsenal man says he actually read that Salah had picked up a knock and could not play as a result.
Surely these players should all be rested against Fulham ahead of PSG?
Who should come in to replace them?
Virgil van Dijk pictured during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan at San Siro (Credit: Getty Images/Giuseppe Cottini).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Giuseppe Cottini
With Fulham up next for Liverpool on Saturday, the focus quickly shifts to whether Salah returns, and what his absence in Paris really means.
Merson suggests Salah was injured before PSG clash
Writing his prediction for the match for Sportskeeda on Thursday, Merson offered a slightly different explanation for Salah’s absence, suggesting there may have been a physical issue at play, even if it wasn’t publicly confirmed.
“I read that Mohamed Salah had a slight knock and that’s why he didn’t feature off the bench against PSG. It was the right decision,” said the pundit.
“Liverpool weren’t even in the game against PSG. So there was no point bringing him on. If they were making chance after chance, I would have understood bringing him on because Salah is their best finisher. In this case, if he came on, he would have barely kicked a ball!”
Mohamed Salah warms up ahead of Liverpool's UEFA Champions League quarter-final match against Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
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Despite suggestions of a knock, though, Merson maintains that Salah is likely to return against Fulham as Liverpool look to correct their Premier League form.
“For Liverpool, this game is more important than the second leg against PSG,” he said. “I think they should bring Salah back into the line-up for this one. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling Liverpool will win.”
It’s an intriguing claim from Merson, particularly as Slot never mentioned any injury to the Egyptian, but it would explain more adequately why he never turned to him on Wednesday.
If Salah was indeed carrying a slight knock, it would make the cautious approach more understandable, with Liverpool hopefully now ready to unleash him fully rested against Fulham.
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