Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Liverpool have omitted Mohamed Salah from their travelling squad for their Champions League clash against Inter Milan, a decision that follows a turbulent weekend marked by the forward’s explosive public criticism of the club and its manager, Arne Slot. The move has intensified speculation about Salah’s future, sending clubs across Saudi Arabia, the United States and Europe on high alert.
Salah trained as normal at the AXA Training Centre on Sunday and Monday, but Liverpool decided he would not travel to Italy, believing that a brief withdrawal from the squad would be in the best interests of both the player and the team. Club officials insist the choice is not a disciplinary measure, describing it instead as a selection decision taken after Salah expressed deep concern about his role and future at Anfield.
The 33-year-old’s anger became public after Liverpool’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Leeds United on Saturday, during which he remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes. It was the third consecutive match in which Salah had seen little or no playing time, having featured for just 45 minutes across recent fixtures against West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds.
In an unusually candid interview at Elland Road, Salah accused Liverpool of abandoning him and revealed that his relationship with Slot had disintegrated.
“I could not believe I was sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” he said. “It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. Someone wants me to get all the blame. The club promised me a lot in summer. Now I’m on the bench and they haven’t kept those promises.”
Salah added that he no longer had any relationship with Slot and suggested that someone inside the club did not want him to stay. He also hinted that he might use Liverpool’s upcoming match against Brighton — the last before he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations to say goodbye to supporters, unsure of what might happen once he joins Egypt’s national team.
The situation has drawn global attention. Salah, who signed a lucrative two-year contract extension earlier this season that runs until 2027, remains one of the most sought-after players in world football. While he declined to comment on reported interest from Saudi Arabia, several clubs in the region along with teams in Major League Soccer and Europe are monitoring developments closely.
Liverpool’s preparations for the Inter Milan match have also been complicated by injuries. Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo all missed training on Monday due to fitness concerns and are not expected to travel. Slot and goalkeeper Alisson are scheduled to speak to the media at San Siro, where they will almost certainly face questions about Salah’s future and the fallout from his remarks.
The forward’s public dissatisfaction marks one of the most serious episodes of internal tension at Liverpool in recent years. While the club maintains that Salah’s exclusion from the squad is temporary, the scale of his comments and the scale of interest from abroad, has left the football world questioning whether one of Liverpool’s greatest modern players is entering the final chapter of his time at Anfield.
