Liverpool manager Arne Slot has opened up about the difficulty of his recent team selection, revealing that dropping Mohamed Salah for the match against West Ham United was one of the hardest decisions he has faced in his managerial career.
The Weight of the Decision
Slot acknowledged there was a widespread understanding that Salah's recent form had not met his usual exceptional standards. Despite this, choosing to omit the forward for the 2-0 victory at the London Stadium represented a monumental call. The Egyptian superstar has effectively been an automatic starter for the Reds for the past eight years, making his absence from the starting eleven a rare and significant event.
The statistics underscore just how unusual this move was. Since Salah joined Liverpool in 2017, the club has played 317 Premier League games. He has failed to start only 34 of those, with a significant portion of those absences due to his commitments with the Egypt national team at the African Cup of Nations. In fact, he has completely missed just 17 matches in that entire period.
Managing the Final Days Before AFCON
Slot is now carefully considering whether to reinstate Salah to the starting line-up for Wednesday night's clash with Sunderland. The head coach is wrestling with how to best utilise the player in the limited time he has left. FIFA regulations stipulate that Salah must join up with Egypt's squad for AFCON on December 15, meaning Slot has him available for just four more games.
"It is not a nice thing for you, not for a Liverpool fan and not for me, a player that has been so important for us," Slot stated. "I prefer to see Mo on the pitch, scoring his goals and doing something special, rather than the camera being on him when he isn't in the game."
He expressed sympathy for the predicament in which he placed the 33-year-old, admitting the decision generated undue scrutiny. Slot praised Salah's professional response to being left out, highlighting his supportive attitude towards teammates in training since the decision.
Salah's Professional Response and Future Importance
When asked if the forward was disappointed, Slot gave a candid response. "That is a fair assumption and a normal reaction from a player that is good enough to play for us, and I say it mildly because he has been so outstanding for this club for so many years and will be for us in the future," he said.
Slot confirmed Salah was not the only player unhappy about not starting, but emphasised that his behaviour was exemplary. "The way he behaved is what you would expect from the professional he is. He was very supportive for his teammates, handled himself really well," the Dutch manager added.
Looking ahead, Slot made it clear that Salah remains a crucial figure. "He has been so important for us, for so many years, and he will be important for us in the coming days – because it is days as he goes to the African Cup," Slot insisted. The events at the London Stadium offered a glimpse into the future challenge of managing Salah's minutes effectively during his final stint before international duty.
