Image Credits: Imago Images
Mohamed Salah’s omission from the starting XI in the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain was controversial enough, with Arne Slot opting to leave his long-time talisman on the bench for the entire 90 minutes.
The Egyptian did not play a single minute in Paris, watching on as Liverpool failed to lay a glove on the French champions and left themselves with a mountain to climb at Anfield.
That context made his introduction in the return leg all the more dramatic, as Salah was thrust into the action just half an hour in following Hugo Ekitike’s horror injury. The Frenchman crumpled to the turf clutching his Achilles, later confirmed as a tendon rupture that will rule him out for the rest of the season and the World Cup, forcing Slot to turn to his number 11 far earlier than planned.
While Salah did not manage to influence the ultimate result, a lot of attaks were going through him.
However, Jame Carragher feels like the Egyptian should have been playing from the start:
“The manager will have his reasons, but Isak is nowhere near fit,” Carragher told CBS Sports Golazo, as quoted by the Independent. “Mohamed Salah didn’t play the first leg so he’s not like some of the players who played last week and then played at the weekend in the Premier League.”
“He played in the Premier League and scored a goal. He’s still one of Liverpool’s best goalscorers. He’s used to this system. Isak’s never even played with Ekitike before.”
Carragher revealed that he was “flabbergasted” that Salah did not start from the off:
“I don’t think Arne Slot is the type of manager who would be thinking ‘I remember what you did to me a few months ago, calling me out publicly’. Certain managers in the past, maybe Alex Ferguson, might think something like that. I don’t think Arne Slot would.”
“Is it because he’s already announced he’s leaving? It’s something like ‘I’m going with the players who are going to be here next year.’ That’s the only thing I can think of. Even that doesn’t make sense. It’s about the here and now. I’m flabbergasted.”
However one looks at it, it’s a very sad way for Salah to end his Champions League career with Liverpool.