Mohamed Salah: Liverpool forward in squad for Premier League game against Brighton after Arne Slot talks
Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot held discussions on Friday over the forward's Liverpool future; Salah has not started any of the last four matches; follow Liverpool vs Brighton on the Sky Sports website and app on Saturday followed by free match highlights; kick-off 3pm
Friday 12 December 2025 20:51, UK
Mohamed Salah has been included in the Liverpool squad for Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton.
The decision comes after conversations between Salah and head coach Arne Slot on Friday.
Saturday's game will be Salah's last chance to play for Liverpool this year before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.
The forward has not started any of Liverpool's last four games, and after he was an unused substitute against Leeds last weekend, he said he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club and said his relationship with Slot had become non-existent.
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The club subsequently decided to drop him from the travelling squad which won 1-0 at Inter Milan on Tuesday, the same day Salah posted a photograph on Instagram of himself training alone at the training-ground gym.
When asked on Friday whether Salah had played his final game for the club, Slot said: "I will have a conversation with Mo this morning. The outcome of that conversation determines how it will look tomorrow.
"What I need is a conversation with him and the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. There's not much more to say about it. I will speak to him today and the outcome of that conversation determines how things will look tomorrow.
"You can try it in multiple ways, the next time I speak should be with him. We've spoken a lot in the last week, after the Sunderland game, there have been a lot of conversations between his representatives and ours, between him and me.
"And today I will speak with him again."
Slot: I have no reason to not want Salah to stay
Slot was quizzed on his personal desire about Salah's future at Anfield and the head coach also clarified the decision-making process behind omitting Salah from Tuesday's win in Milan, which was made jointly between himself and the club.
He said: "[Who decides] if he's in the squad, yes or no? We've decided as a club, I was part of that decision not to take Mo to Inter Milan.
"I'm always in conversation [with the Liverpool board], but when it comes to the decision-making of the squad or the line-up, that is always left to me.
"That's not to say I don't talk to Richard [Hughes, sporting director]. I talk to Richard about many things. But to play a player is entirely up to me."
Asked specifically if he wanted Salah to stay, Slot replied: "I have no reasons not to want him to stay. This club has won a lot of games with him."
Analysis: What Salah's return could mean
Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:
"I think we've got a peace deal, but I'm not sure how long this peace deal is going to last. It could be something that is very short-term.
"My understanding is that Arne Slot's made this decision because he's putting the team and the club first.
"The reason why I say I'm not sure whether this is a long-term peace deal is because after Saturday's game, Salah will be flying off to play for Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.
"My feeling is that the break will give the key people involved more time to try and tackle the situation, to come to a resolution. So I don't think Saturday is the resolution, but I think it's an important step.
"The reason I say Slot's doing it for the best interests of Liverpool is, I think if he was just thinking about himself and his authority, he would think that Salah doesn't deserve to be back in the squad for what he did.
"I think Slot's looking at the bigger picture and thinking what's best for the side and the club is to bring him back in.
"It'll be really interesting to see whether Salah's in the starting XI tomorrow or whether he plays at all. And there is still the possibility that tomorrow could be his final game for Liverpool.
"This situation hasn't been resolved. It's going to be resolved by talks held between his representatives and also senior executives at Liverpool during the time when Salah is at the Africa Cup of Nations.
"What I find quite interesting is, this has all happened against the backdrop of the fact that the January transfer window is opening and clubs in Saudi Arabia have been targeting signing Salah in January.
"Perhaps Salah feels that he's been dropped because Liverpool want to sell him in January.
"When he made that comment that he made last Saturday that he feels there are certain people at the club who want him out, maybe there is this potential deal with a Saudi Arabian club like Al Ittihad on the table and he is suggesting that there are some people at Liverpool who want him to go.
"Whereas I think Salah's feeling is that he doesn't want to go to Saudi Arabia yet - he wants to stay and play at Liverpool."
Nev: Salah saga similar to Ronaldo exit - a player of less talent would be out
Gary Neville says he sympathises with both Salah and Liverpool over their dispute, likening the situation to Cristiano Ronaldo's acrimonious exit from Manchester United in 2022.
Three years ago, Ronaldo left United for a second time after hitting out at the club's standards and criticising then-boss Erik ten Hag.
"I see it from both sides," Neville told Sky Sports News.
"I wouldn't see it from an ordinary player's side. But when you have this level of player that's almost the best in the world, which I'd put Mo Salah up there with, you sometimes… not have to accept what he's done because Cristiano Ronaldo did it [at United] and I didn't take to it too kindly at all because I think those players have an expectancy to bring everybody along with them.
"But it is not unusual behaviour for a player of that level of quality and talent. They often have a different outlook on things.
"It's easy for me when it's at Liverpool because I can sit back and relax a little bit. I wouldn't like it if it was at my club Manchester United and I didn't a few years ago when Cristiano did it and he went and did the big interview.
"I thought it was wrong, I thought the timing was wrong and the way it was delivered was wrong, so I can see why Liverpool fans would be upset.
"But I was doing the game [against Leeds], I thought [Salah] should have come on the pitch, I said it on commentary.
"I can see why he was upset but I can also see it from Liverpool's perspective - they feel let down and that he's put a lot of attention on them that wasn't needed in a moment of challenge and difficulty."
"If it was a player that didn't have the level of talent, experience or success of Mo Salah I think they'd be kicked out pretty quickly," Neville continued.
"But when you're that exceptional and that talented and have the presence of a great player you don't accept being put on the bench and not being put on.
"I played with players who were exactly the same and left the club as soon as that was the case."
Merse: Liverpool owe trophy debt to Salah
Paul Merson defended Salah following his claims that Liverpool have "thrown him under the bus", suggesting the club's trophy cabinet would be a lot emptier without the Egyptian.
"I'm on Mo Salah's side. I think he's gotten too much stick," said Merson.
"Maybe he shouldn't have done what he did, but he's a human being. He's a winner. He's a legend. The figures he's put up on the wing - goals and assists - is off the charts. We'll never see that again in my opinion.
"All he's done is say he wants to play football. He's got the hump because he's not playing. How could you be slaughtered for that?
"There are other players in the team that could've been dropped and he's probably thinking 'we're not very good and I'm not playing'. I just think it's wrong.
"Liverpool wouldn't have won anything if it wasn't for Mo Salah. You take away his goals and assists and I don't think there's any trophies in that cabinet for a while."
