Salah left out by Liverpool for Inter Milan game

Mohamed Salah has been left out of the squad for Liverpool’s Champions League match at Inter Milan.

The club have decided to remove Salah from selection for a short period after he gave an explosive interview on Saturday, claiming that he was “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had broken down.

Sources told BBC Sport that the decision has been taken with the full support of Slot and that it is in the best interest of all parties involved for Salah to have a brief period away from selection given the nature and timing of the player’s public comments.

It is understood there will be no formal disciplinary action taken by the club.

The 33-year-old is set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations next Monday and also looks likely to also miss Liverpool’s game against Brighton on Saturday.

Liverpool’s 19-man squad flew to Milan on Monday afternoon and Slot will speak at the news conference alongside Alisson Becker at 18:45 GMT.

Salah gave his interview after he was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Leeds United – the third straight game the Egypt international has started on the bench.

The Reds let a 2-0 lead slip in the draw at Leeds, with Salah an unused substitute for the game.

The previous two games had seen Salah come on as a substitute in a 1-1 home draw at Sunderland, while he was left on the bench in a 2-0 win at West Ham.

His last start was in a 4-1 defeat by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield in a Champions League group game and his last goal came in a 2-0 win at Aston Villa on Saturday, 1 November.

Salah has scored five goals in 18 appearances in the Premier League and Champions League this season.

Overall, he has 250 goals in 420 Liverpool appearances and his 29 top-flight goals in the 2024-25 campaign helped the Anfield side win the Premier League title last season.

Salah, who joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017, signed a new two-year contract with the club in April.

BBC Sport pundit and former England striker Wayne Rooney has said Salah is “destroying his legacy” at the club and said prior to the forward being left out of the Inter game that Slot should not involve him in Italy or for the home match against Brighton on Saturday.

“In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now,” Salah said on Saturday.

“I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to Africa Cup of Nations. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”

Salah may not have made the trip to Milan but the fact that he was training with his teammates on Monday morning suggests that there is a way back at Liverpool for the Egyptian.

Leaving him out of the squad was a decision made in consultation with Slot and it leaves no doubt about who is in charge but it could have been much worse – Salah wasn’t even fined by the club for his outburst at Leeds.

Given his choice of words, it would not have come as a surprise if Salah wasn’t allowed to train with the first team but the 33-year-old was all smiles in front of the cameras on Monday.

His words on Saturday implied that an exit in January was possible but BBC Sport understands that the Egyptian isn’t actively looking for a way out. And the notion that it is in the best interests of all parties for Salah to have a period away from selection indicates that Liverpool still see a future with the current PFA Players’ Player of the Year

Furthermore, there are currently no plans for Salah to leave Liverpool any earlier than December 15 (which is the latest release date) for the Africa Cup of Nations.

It’s worth noting Salah’s words when he signed his new contract in April: “I have played eight years here, hopefully it’s going to be 10. I’m enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I have had the best years of my career here.”

There is little doubt that Salah spoke from the heart on Sunday. Missing out on the Inter game will hurt him but here is still a chance for him at Liverpool under Slot and that will be the question on everyone’s lips when the Liverpool boss speaks to the media on Monday evening.