Liverpool manager Arne Slot has firmly stated that the club has completely moved on from the recent public disagreement with star forward Mohamed Salah. The Dutch coach emphasised that the team's sole focus is now on collective success as they prepare for a crucial Premier League fixture.
Salah Controversy Put to Bed
The situation erupted a fortnight ago when Salah, in an interview after the Leeds United match, claimed he had no relationship with the manager and felt the club had thrown him 'under the bus'. This led to his temporary omission from the squad and sparked intense speculation about a potential acrimonious exit from Anfield.
However, the Egyptian international returned to the matchday squad for last weekend's victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, coming off the bench to provide an assist. Slot addressed the matter directly on Friday morning, stating: 'The facts are more eloquent than words and we have moved on, he was in the squad and was the first substitute I made.'
Focus Shifts to AFCON and Tottenham Test
Slot confirmed that Salah is now fully concentrated on representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. 'He is now at AFCON playing important matches for him and also for the country, so I think it is fair for them and also for us that all the focus is on him there,' Slot said. 'And there should be no distraction from me.'
The manager was keen to shift attention to Liverpool's upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday. 'We have turned the page after the Leeds interview and he played against Brighton. So it is fair that we talk about Tottenham,' he insisted.
Team News: Frimpong Returns, Gomez Out
In other team news, Slot confirmed a report from Daily Mail Sport that Jeremie Frimpong will return to the squad to face Tottenham after recovering from injury. However, defender Joe Gomez will miss the match due to a hamstring injury.
There was positive news on other fitness fronts:
- Dominik Szoboszlai has resumed training after a minor ankle knock.
- Cody Gakpo's injury is better than first feared, though he is still likely to miss the next two matches against Spurs and Wolves.
Slot Praises In-Form Striker Ekitike
The Liverpool boss also took time to praise the recent performances of French striker Hugo Ekitike, who has scored four goals in his last two league appearances. When asked if he was surprised by the forward's capability, Slot replied: 'No, not (surprised) because we knew what kind of player we signed.'
Slot highlighted Ekitike's significant improvement in work rate. 'In the match against Brighton he had to come off at 70 minutes because he had a cramp, but he did almost double the work he did three months ago, when I also had to take him off,' the manager explained.
'His ability to score, his technique, his speed, that's what he has, so it's no surprise to anyone to see it. He has improved a lot in terms of how much he runs and how hard he works. It's a great help for the team, because people focus on the goals, but now he also helps us in defence. That is very important for a number 9.'
Slot revealed he has focused more on the defensive side of Ekitike's game, joking: 'I've probably talked more with him about what I expect more defensively than offensively. Before I signed him, I had no problems with that. After I signed him, sometimes I thought: 'Can we also talk about attack?''
With the Salah chapter closed, for now, Liverpool's full attention is on maintaining their Premier League momentum against a direct rival this weekend.
