Mohamed Salah has been dropped from the Liverpool squad for their trip to Italy to face Inter Milan.
The 33-year-old Egyptian’s future at Anfield is a cause for concern after his outburst at his treatment by Arne Slot and the club following the 3-3 draw against Leeds on Saturday.
Salah remained an unused substitute in the draw, the second time he has failed to make an appearance off the bench and the third game in a row he wasn’t named in the starting line-up.
(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
The forward trained with the rest of the first-team squad in an open training session this morning, but the club have confirmed Salah is not part of the travelling squad to Italy.
Liverpool’s squad to face Inter is: Alisson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Isak, Mac Allister, Bradley, Jones, Ekitike, Mamardashvili, Robertson, Woodman, Gravenberch, Nyoni, Ngumoha and Lucky.
Liverpool’s stance on Salah’s exclusion shows the board are still firmly backing the manager. Salah could have played his last game for Liverpool if he leaves the club next month, with the forward to join Egypt for the AFCON after Saturday’s game against Brighton.
There is no place for Cody Gakpo or Federico Chiesa either, meaning Alexander Isak could be forced to play a full 90 minutes for the first time in his Liverpool career.
Salah claimed he had been ‘thrown under the bus’ by the club in his rant to reporters at Leeds, which has caused the club and Slot no shortage of headaches and pressure ahead of the Champions League clash.
(Image: PA)
He fumed: “I could not believe I was sitting on the bench for 90 minutes.
“That’s the third time. It’s the first time in my career I think. I am very disappointed, I have done so much for this club over years, especially last season, It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus.
That’s how I feel it. Someone wants me to get all the blame. The club promised me a lot in summer. Now I’m on bench, so I can say they haven’t kept those promises.
“I used to have a good relationship (with Slot). Now we don’t have any relationship and I don’t know why. (It) seems like someone does not want me in the club. I called my mum and dad and told them to come to the Brighton game.
“It doesn’t matter if I play or not. I’m going to enjoy it. I am just going to be at Anfield and say goodbye to the fans before the African Cup of Nations, because I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.
“It’s not acceptable to me to be fair. If I was somewhere else, every club would protect its players. Now it’s: ‘Throw Mo under the bus because he is a problem in a team’.”