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Beth Lindop
Arne Slot expressed his delight to have Mohamed Salah returning from the Africa Cup of Nations next week, emphasizing that the striker remains «so important» for Liverpool.
Salah’s Egypt faced elimination by Senegal in the AFCON semifinals on Wednesday, yet the 33-year-old will stay with his national team until after Saturday’s third-place match against Nigeria in Casablanca.
Salah sparked controversy last month with a striking interview during which he alleged that Liverpool had «thrown him under the bus» due to the club’s poor performance and mentioned a breakdown in his relationship with Slot.
Consequently, Salah was left out of the squad for Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan, but he made his comeback in the 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion before heading off to AFCON, with Slot confirming that the issue had been addressed.
«First, he has a significant match for Egypt on Saturday and then he will return to us,» the Liverpool manager remarked.
«I am pleased he is coming back. Mo has been incredibly important for this club and for me, so I am glad he’s returning. Even if I had 15 forwards, I would still welcome Mo back, but that is not our current situation.
«Thrilled to have him back after an important match tomorrow.»
Inquired if Salah would be fit to participate in Liverpool’s Champions League fixture against Marseille next Wednesday, Slot responded: «We are currently discussing what is required from him both there and here.
«He has a crucial match on Saturday, and then he will rejoin us. We are conversing about [the Marseille match] at the moment.»
Liverpool aims to stretch their unbeaten streak to 12 matches across all competitions when they welcome Burnley in the Premier League at Anfield on Saturday.
Moreover, while Slot’s team has been unbeaten since the 4-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven in November, the Dutch coach acknowledged that performance enhancements are necessary for his team to thrive this season.
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«Ideally, it’s not 11 matches undefeated, it’s 11 victories consecutively,» he expressed. «That is our target.
«Aston Villa secured numerous victories in succession, but from our position, having conceded four goals against PSV Eindhoven to now, we are in a significantly better place, yet there is still much room for advancement. Even last year when we topped the Premier League and the Champions League at this point.»
