Liverpool's Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah. Photo: PAUL ELLIS / AFP
Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he has no clue whether Mohamed Salah has played his last game for Liverpool after the Egypt forward's outspoken comments resulted in him being left out of the squad for Tuesday's (local time) Champions League game at Inter Milan.
Salah, 33, was omitted from the 19-man travelling party for the Inter clash after he said he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club in a hard-hitting interview on Saturday.
He also said that he no longer had a relationship with Dutchman Slot and that 'someone' doesn't want him at the club for whom he has scored 250 goals, won two Premier League titles and a Champions League in eight memorable years at Anfield.
Asked whether Salah would play for the club again, Slot said during his pre-match press conference on Monday: "I have no clue. I cannot answer that question at this moment."
Slot took questions on the Salah saga for 10 minutes, admitting he was surprised by the player's comments after being an unused substitute in Saturday's 3-3 draw at Leeds United.
"To an extent it was a surprise for me when I heard after the game that he gave the comments he gave," Slot told reporters on Monday. "But I think our, my, reaction to that is also clear, and that's that why he's not here with us tonight."
Asked if he felt Salah's outburst had been directed at him, Slot said: "The only one who can answer that question is Mo himself. I can guess but I don't think that's the right thing to do in this moment of time. So it's hard for me to tell who he means in that situation, to be honest."
Salah trained with the squad on Monday, with Slot watching on, but was told he would not be making the trip to Italy.
"We let him know that he's not travelling with us, so that was the only communication that has been there from us to him," Slot said, adding that Salah's reaction had been "a short one."
Salah's form has come under fire this season and he was left on the bench in last month's 2-0 win at West Ham United. He came on in the 1-1 home draw with Sunderland but was again an unused substitute at Leeds, a result that left Liverpool ninth.
During Saturday's outburst Salah said he felt like he had been made a scapegoat for Liverpool's struggles.
"He has every right to feel what he feels, but he doesn't have the right to share it with the media. He has that right, but then it's up to us to react on it," Slot said.
"I think usually I'm calm and polite, but that doesn't mean I'm weak. So if a player says these comments about so many things, then it's about me, us as a club, to react, and we reacted in a way you can see now."
Slot led Liverpool to the title in his first season but has come under scrutiny this term and the Salah situation is adding to the pressure he is under.
"I don't feel like my authority is being undermined," he said. "To a certain extent, I'm important in this situation as well, but the focus that I have at the moment is completely on the team and not about me at all."
Liverpool are 13th in the Champions League table with nine points from five games, while Inter are fourth with 12 points.
-Reuters
