Liverpool coach Arne Slot says he is delighted to have Mohamed Salah returning from Africa Cup of Nations duty soon, despite an apparent falling-out just weeks ago.
In a fiery outburst after a 3-3 draw at Leeds United, the Egyptian forward accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” and said his relationship with Slot had broken down.
The 33-year-old, who will be involved in Egypt’s third-place match against Nigeria on Saturday, had been left on the bench for three matches and has not started for Liverpool since November.
“First-off, he has to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday,” Slot told reporters ahead of Saturday’s home game against Burnley.
“I’m happy he’s coming back. If I had 15 attackers, I would still be happy to have him back.”
The Dutch coach said an 11-game unbeaten run across all competitions had boosted Liverpool’s season. But five Premier League draws in that run have left the champions fourth, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal.
“Ideally it’s not 11 games unbeaten, it’s 11 wins in a row. That is what we aim for,” Slot said.
“From where we were when we conceded four goals against PSV Eindhoven to now – a much better place, but there’s still enough room for improvement.”
Slot acknowledged the pressure to secure Champions League qualification, having led the table early on.
“We haven’t put ourselves in the most ideal position, especially when you compare to where we were after six games.”
Slot praised Andy Robertson’s response to his reduced role in the squad.
The 31-year-old defender once a mainstay in Liverpool’s back line has not yet committed his future to Anfield. Although the Scotland international has lost his starting place to Milos Kerkez, he said he wanted to stay at the club.
“I have to give Andy a big compliment about what he said. It was very mature,” Slot said.
“But I’m really happy he also feels he finds joy in the position he’s in and understands how important he has been to this club for all these years, and still is.”
