Mo Salah will be in the matchday squad against Brighton after talks with Arne Slot, who has admitted that he is “definitely not enjoying this situation.”
Salah and Slot held talks at the AXA Training Centre on Friday morning and a result of their discussion was that the winger would return to the squad on Saturday.
Talks were described as “positive,” but the situation is not entirely resolved ahead of Salah’s departure for the Africa Cup of Nations this weekend.
The fallout from Salah’s explosive comments has dominated headlines and speaking to the press after Friday’s open press conference, and before his talks with Salah, Slot admitted his dislike of the current situation.
“The biggest factor is [to] do the best for the team and for the club,” Slot told reporters, including the Liverpool Echo.
“I haven’t said this before but I can say I am definitely not enjoying this situation. It’s not like I’m happy we are in this situation by far.
“We have won the league together and he has done so much for the club. Ideally you are not in a situation like this with your player.
“I am far from enjoying it but I have to make my line-ups doing what is best for the club and for the team, in my opinion.
“That’s not to say that I do so but it is about my opinion. To tell you that I like it, no, I don’t like it and I’m not enjoying it.
“If I can, and it is also good for the team and for the club, I would definitely prefer to [avoid a circus against Brighton] because I don’t think it’s in the interests of the team and the club that we keep having.
“And I don’t think it’s a circus for me, but if it is a circus that is not helpful for anyone. So you try to avoid it as long as you can, do what is best for the team.”
Slot will keep Salah reaction to himself
As for Slot’s reaction and how he felt, he said: “If I tell you what my reaction was and what I felt, it would not help us in the current situation.
“Everything I have done until now is doing what is in the best interest of the club and the team.
“I don’t think if I tell you what I felt or blah blah that it will help us in the situation.
“I can completely understand why you ask, as it is interesting to know, but what I’ve tried to do since I’ve been here and for this whole situation is doing what is best for the team and the club in this situation, as it is already challenging enough for us without this situation.”
He then added: “I can understand that is important for you and other people to know but I don’t think that helps us that I go into detail about everything that has happened or will happen.
“I think it is in everyone’s interest, or the interest of the club, that I keep as much detail as I can to myself as these details don’t help us calm the whole situation.”
