Slot ‘surprised ’ by Salah claims of ‘broken relationship

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says he was “surprised” by Mohamed Salah’s claim that their relationship had broken down.

Slot confirmed his only communication with Salah since the forward’s explosive weekend interview was informing him he would not travel to Italy for Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Inter. Asked to describe that exchange, he put it bluntly: “A short one.”

Slot denies rift but acknowledges shock

Slot has benched Salah for Liverpool’s last three matches but insists he never believed their relationship had deteriorated.

According to him, there were no warning signs until he heard the comments in Salah’s interview.

“It was a surprise to me when I heard he gave the comments he gave,” Slot said during Monday’s press briefing.

Return for Brighton not guaranteed

Asked if Salah could be reinstated for Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Brighton, Slot said the decision would be made after the Inter game.

“I’m a firm believer there’s always a possibility to return for a player,” he noted.

Future at Anfield unclear

Pressed on whether Salah may have played his final game for Liverpool, Slot did not hedge: “I have no clue, I cannot answer that question in this moment in time.”

Slot added that he was unsure who or what Salah was referring to in parts of the interview. “I’m calm, polite, but that doesn’t mean I’m weak,” he said. “It’s up to us as a club to react and you can see he isn’t here.”