Mohamed Salah will return to Liverpool next week with boss Arne Slot saying he would be pleased to have the forward back even if he had “15 attackers”.
For the past month Salah has been on international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), but he will head back to Merseyside after Saturday’s third-place play-off against Nigeria.
The 33-year-old gave an explosive interview shortly before departing for Afcon, in which he claimed “someone doesn’t want me in the club” and that he no longer had any relationship with Slot.
He was subsequently left out of the Liverpool squad for their 1-0 win at Inter Milan but came off the bench to register an assist against Brighton four days later.
Slot said before the Inter game he had “no clue” if Salah, who has scored 250 goals in 421 appearances for Liverpool, had played his last game for the club, but he is now ready to welcome him back.
“First of all, he needs to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday and then he comes back to us,” said Slot.
“I am happy that he comes back. Mo has been so important for this club, for me, so I am happy that he is back.
“Even if I had 15 attackers I still would have been happy if he came back but that is not our current situation.”
Liverpool are unbeaten in six games since Salah left for Afcon, winning three, and face Burnley at Anfield on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
But with record signing Alexander Isak out for a number of months after undergoing surgery on a left leg fracture, Slot will be glad to have his attacking options boosted.
The Reds travel to Marseille for a Champions League game on Wednesday but no decision has been made over whether Salah will be available for that, or if he will be held back until Bournemouth away on 24 January.
“We are talking together about [the Marseille game] now,” Slot said.
“We are in talks with him about what is expected of him over there, what is expected over here. But first of all he needs to have an important game on Saturday and next week he will be back.”
On his talks with Salah following the very public fallout last month, the Dutchman added: “What happens between Mo and me, on the phone or over here, stays between the two of us.
“And I don’t think it is necessary for me to share all the private conversations I have.”
Slot also confirmed that Liverpool have no further injury worries outside of long-term absentees Isak, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni.
The key word in Arne Slot’s news conference was that he will be ‘happy’ to have Salah back next week.
With Liverpool‘s injury problems, the return of the Egyptian is even more important. It remains to be seen whether Salah will have to get used to not being a regular starter but it is clear that a line has been drawn after the dramatic interview last month.
A player who is getting used to not being a regular starter is Andy Robertson and the Liverpool vice-captain spoke passionately about it earlier in the week, where he also outlined that a decision is yet to be made on his future beyond the summer, when his contract expires.
Slot was full of praise for Robertson saying that “the way he speaks is a big compliment”.
Ultimately, it is a tale of two players who will go down in Liverpool history for all the right reasons and the manner in which they have dealt with no longer being regular names on the teamsheet.
