QUE SERA SALAH

Star's future uncertain but winger will return to squad

- BY PAUL GORST

IF the cool and calm nature of Arne Slot has given little indication of the turbulence behind the scenes where Mo Salah is concerned, the decision to drop the Liverpool star from the squad that beat Inter this week revealed all.

Ahead of the win in Milan, Slot explained his kindness should not be mistaken for weakness.

And while the decision to remove Salah from the party that travelled to the San Siro was taken by the club itself, it was one that the head coach was in full support of.

The controversial nature of Salah’s bombshell interview at Leeds, where he accused the club of having him “thrown under the bus” led to his dropping from the squad that secured a vital 1-0 win over the Italians on Tuesday.

For a head coach who is aiming to strike upon the right formula for a period that will see Salah with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations after today’s visit from Brighton, it bodes well that his side came away from the San Siro with maximum points. Salah is back in the squad for today after talks between player and coach at the training base with the Reds without a number of players through injury, though issues still remain.

“What I need is to have a conversation with him and the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here,’ said Slot ahead of the meeting with the unsettled Egyptian.