Overview
- Liverpool say the decision to leave Salah out of the Inter Milan trip was a club call that Slot fully supported, as the head coach stressed that being kind should not be mistaken for weakness.
- Positive discussions at the training base on Friday paved the way for Salah’s inclusion against Brighton, shortly before his expected departure to join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations.
- Salah had been benched in a recent run that included being an unused substitute in the 3-3 draw at Leeds, which preceded his remark that he had been 'thrown under the bus' and had 'no relationship' with Slot.
- Liverpool beat Inter 1-0 in Milan without Salah, a result that underscored Slot’s insistence that tough selection calls would be made for the team’s benefit.
- Gary Neville likened the episode to Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview-led dispute at Manchester United, while Peter Crouch said Salah needed to make peace with Slot or face no way back.