Slight cropping. Mohamed Salah’s media outing, which resulted in him being left out of Liverpool’s next match, is “not a good thing for us as a team”, Arne Slot said on Monday. The Reds coach, however, remains “convinced” that a return for the Egyptian is possible.
The sidelining of the Egyptian striker for the Champions League poster at Inter Milan on Tuesday is a temporary measure which does not bode well for the future, explained the Dutchman. “We decided not to take him for this match. But the day after tomorrow we will examine the situation again,” he said at a press conference from Italy.
Slot surprised by Salah’s reaction
Mohamed Salah expressed his strong disappointment in front of journalists on Saturday evening after a draw at Leeds (3-3), where the coach relegated him to the substitutes’ bench for the third time in a row at kick-off.
Was this his last match in the Mersey club jersey, which he has worn since 2017? “I have no idea. I can’t answer that question right now, Slot dodged. But in any case, I am convinced that there is always a possibility for a player to come back. »
He assured that he did not have the impression that the relationship was broken between them, contrary to what Mohamed Salah suggested. “That’s not what I felt, not at all, until Saturday night anyway. (…) He was very respectful with the staff, with his teammates, he trained very hard. To some extent it was a surprise to me when I heard what he said after the match.”
“Not a good thing for us”
“He can absolutely think what he thinks, but he doesn’t have to share it with the media. He has the right, but then it’s up to us to react to that,” Slot elaborated.
The coach declined to say whether the situation affected him personally. On the other hand, he focused on the effects that this could have on the members of the staff “who work so hard every day”, and whom he said were “affected” by the sporting crisis.
“So it’s not a good thing for us as a team,” he added. The club has only spoken to Mohamed Salah once since Saturday, according to him, and that was on Monday to inform the striker of his non-selection in Italy.
