Slot to decide if Salah returns to Liverpool squad after crunch talks

Arne Slot says he will have a conversation with Mohamed Salah and decide whether he to recall the forward to his Liverpool squad based on those discussions ahead of facing Brighton at Anfield on Saturday.

Salah was dropped from Liverpool’s squad that travelled to Inter Milan on Tuesday after his explosive interview following the draw at Leeds and claiming he had been “thrown under the bus”.

Salah also said his relationship with Slot had broken down and the head coach made the decision, backed by Liverpool’s hierarchy, to omit the 33-year-old from his plans for the Inter match, which Liverpool won 1-0.

Salah will depart for the Africa Cup of Nations following the Premier League game at home to Brighton, with the Egyptian suggesting in his interview that it could be his final match for the club given his uncertain future.

On whether Salah, who is Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer of all time, would return to the squad ahead of a potential Anfield farewell, Slot said: "I will have a conversation with Mo this morning, the outcome of that conversation determines how things will look tomorrow.”

Salah has been an unused substitute for two of Liverpool’s last three games and has not started any of the last three, with the star forward claiming he had “earned” his position in the team.

Slot said he has “no reasons” for not wanting Salah to stay but the Egyptian will attract interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia in January. The Independent understands Slot’s decision to leave Salah out of his plans was influenced by his upcoming departure to Afcon.

"I have no reasons to not want him to stay,” Slot said. “This club has won a lot of games with him. We decided as a club - and I was part of that decision - not to take him to Milan.

“I am always in contact with them [sporting director Richard Hughes and chief executive Michael Edwards] but when it comes to the decision making of the line-up or the squad, they leave that open to me.

“That's not to say I don't talk to them. Mainly Richard, not Michael. The decision to play a player or have them in the squad is entirely up to me.”