Liverpool manager Arne Slott said there are “no problems to solve” with Mohamed Salah after the forward impressed from the bench in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brighton at Anfield.
Salah was left out of the squad for Inter’s Champions League win after saying he no longer had a relationship with Slott following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United last Saturday.
But Slott brought Salah back into the team against Brighton after they held talks on Friday and the switch made an impact, setting up Hugo Ekitika’s second goal from a corner in his final game before heading to the AFCON with Egypt.
“For me, there are no problems to solve,” Slott said after the win, which moved Liverpool up to sixth in the table.
“He’s the same as any player now. You talk to your players if you’re happy or unhappy with things, but I have nothing to talk about after what happened against Leeds after the game.”
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Liverpool manager Arne Slott confirms his problems with Mohamed Salah have been resolved and he will return to the club after the AFCON.
Salah stopped to applaud the Anfield crowd, who had been chanting his name all afternoon after he entered the fray, before leaving for the AFCON, but he gave no indication that this was goodbye for good.
Asked if it was his last game for Liverpool, Slott said: “He wasn’t the only player walking around the pitch thanking the fans because the fans deserved to be thanked.
“Our players worked incredibly hard to keep a clean sheet and for the first time in weeks, maybe months, we had a bit of luck.”
“Mo will now go to the AFCON. I hope he will do very well and in the meantime we have to play here without him without so many players available.”
Mohamed Salah replaced the injured Joe Gomez after 26 minutes in the win over Brighton
Asked if Salah had said he wanted to stay at Liverpool, Slott added: “I think you already know the answer to that.
“What was said between the two of us in that conversation remains between us. What you see is what you find out, that he was in the team and my first substitute.”
“All the other things that were said in that conversation, I never talk about when I talk to Virgil (van Dijk) or Mo (Salah) or any other player. I never tell you what we talk about.
Salah produced a much improved performance after replacing the injured Joe Gomez in the first half at Anfield and Slott wants him to take that form with him when he returns from the AFCON.
Asked if he hoped Salah would return and continue in that spirit, Slott said: “Yes. He is a Liverpool player and at the moment he is (here) I like to use him when we need him,” added Slott.
“He didn’t start today like a couple of times before, but in the season and a half before he started every game. Today when he came in he had the kind of performance you’d want him to give.”
“He was close to another assist – I think he was shocked to see Virgil next to him in that long sprint. He was close to scoring but he was a threat and that’s very important. When you play forwards you hope he’s a threat to the other team.”