How Mohamed Salah’s return could affect Liverpool’s Champions League plans

Follow us on Google Discover

Salah’s Return aligns with Liverpool’s Champions League fixture

Mohamed Salah is expected to be back from the Africa Cup of Nations in time for Liverpool’s Champions League clash against Marseille.

It’s been a while since that incident after the Leeds match put everything under the spotlight, and it seems a lot has changed since then.

That was nearly six weeks ago. When he left for AFCON, there was already speculation about whether it might have been his last appearance in a Liverpool shirt. And even now, nothing is set in stone.

The club hasn’t given any indication that he’ll be moving on, and there hasn’t been much noise from outside either. With any luck, things will stay quiet on that front.

Last Egypt heartbreak put Mo Salah in a rut

Mo Salah didn’t bounce back right away the last time he came back to Liverpool after a tough international exit. His missed penalty against Senegal in the 2022 World Cup playoffs meant Egypt wouldn’t make it to the tournament.

Sadio Mane scored the winning spot-kick, and after that, Salah managed just three goals in nine league appearances – not up to his usual standards.

This time around, it was again Mane who knocked him out of AFCON. Given how things played out before, it’s fair to wonder if we might see a similar dip when he returns.

And that’s assuming he walks straight back into the lineup without any issues.

How Arne Slot might handle Salah’s return

There’s no certainty that Salah will walk straight back into the starting lineup. Liverpool has shown improvement during his absence, and Arne Slot might feel the team’s balance doesn’t need immediate disruption.

The bigger issue is whether Salah will be willing to accept a spot on the bench again. He wasn’t happy about it before Christmas.

With Egypt having just played Nigeria in the third-place play-off, tensions could rise upon his return. Slot hasn’t shied away from tough decisions involving Salah before, so this situation will be one to watch closely.