Liverpool manager Arne Slot has expressed his delight at the imminent return of Mohamed Salah from Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) duty, despite a public fallout between the two just weeks ago. Salah is set to return to Liverpool next week after Egypt's exit from the tournament. Egypt lost 1-0 to Senegal in the semi-final, with former Liverpool player Sadio Mane scoring the winning goal.
Salah will play for Egypt in the third-place play-off match against Nigeria on Saturday before returning to Merseyside. Due to FIFA rules, Salah must remain with his national team until the morning after their final game. He will miss Liverpool's Premier League game against Burnley on Saturday, marking his seventh missed game since leaving for AFCON in mid-December.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Slot confirmed he had been in contact with Salah and that the Egyptian could feature in the Champions League game against Marseille on Wednesday. "First of all, he plays a big game for Egypt on Saturday and then he comes back, I am happy he comes back," Slot said. "Mo has been so important for this club and me, so I am happy he is back and even if I had 15 attackers, I would be happy to see Mo back but that is not our situation. Happy to have him back after an important game tomorrow".
Salah departed for AFCON after publicly criticizing Slot, saying he felt the club had "thrown me under the bus" and that he and Slot had "no relationship". However, the pair have since cleared the air. Slot stated that conversations between him and Salah would remain private.
Liverpool has been unbeaten in 11 games across all competitions since a 4-1 defeat by PSV Eindhoven on November 26. They currently sit fourth in the Premier League. With Alexander Isak out for several months due to a leg fracture, Salah's return will boost Liverpool's attacking options.
Slot acknowledged the pressure to secure Champions League qualification. He also praised Andy Robertson's mature response to his reduced role in the squad, as Robertson has expressed his desire to stay at the club despite a lack of first-team starts.
