Arne Slot Getty Images December 13, 2025, 10:40 p.m

Liverpool head coach Arne Slott spoke about his decision to bring Mohamed Salah back into the squad after a recent clash with Brighton (2-0).

Salah started the match on the bench, but an injury to Joe Gomez forced Slott to drop the star forward in the first half.

This outing became a landmark: Salah’s assist for Hugo Ekitike’s second goal allowed the Egyptian to break Wayne Rooney’s record for the number of goalscoring actions for one club in the Premier League. Salah now has 277 productive actions (188 goals and 89 assists) for the Reds.

Arne Slot commented on the return of the leader:

“He was a threat to the opponent. He almost created a goal for Mac Allister with his first touch… It was nice to see it, but not surprising. The decision to include him in the application was simple. I have already said many times: what was said between us will remain between us. We needed him and he made an assist, which is great for us,” the coach emphasized.

This match was Salah’s last before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations. The Liverpool manager admitted that the loss of a key player will be felt:

“He is going to Cannes, and that means for us minus one more player. We knew about it even before the start of the season. I hope one of the injured will be able to return,” Slot concluded.

The situation surrounding Salah’s future remains tense as the January transfer window approaches and interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia continues to abate.

However, his performance against Brighton proved that even in difficult times he remains an indispensable figure at Anfield.