Arne Slot has reportedly revealed that Mohamed Salah was not pleased to be kept out of Liverpool’s starting lineup for their triumph over West Ham United.
The 33-year-old was left unused as the team won 2-0 at the London Stadium on Sunday thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo.
Salah had been an ever-present in the Premier League when Liverpool won the title last season, with the visit to West Ham becoming the first time Slot has ever left the forward out of his starting line-up in the English top-flight.
However, Salah has found his spot in the side the subject of increased scrutiny following a succession of below-par displays as the Reds lost nine of their 12 matches before to the weekend trip to the capital.
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It remains to be seen if the attacker will be restored to Slot’s starting XI for Wednesday night’s meeting with Sunderland or if the Dutchman will keep faith with the attack that enabled Liverpool return to winning ways.
What Slot Said About Salah
According to Liverpool Echo, the Reds head coach was all praise when he disclosed Salah’s reaction to being left out of the team over the weekend.
“It’s a fair assumption (that he wasn’t happy to be left out),” Slot said at his pre-match press conference. “And it’s a normal reaction from a player who is good enough to play for us.
“And I say that mildly because he has been so outstanding for this club for so many years and will be for us in the future. So yeah, of course a player isn’t happy not playing.
“He was very supportive for his team-mates. Handled himself really well during the day and yesterday in the session as well.
“You cannot be a player that is available every three days and plays to that high standards if you go with your emotions.”
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