Liverpool boss Arne Slot ‘happy’ to have Mohamed Salah back next week

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot will welcome back Mohamed Salah from the Africa Cup of Nations next week and insisted he would be happy to see the forward.

The Egypt international’s last appearance for the Reds was in mid-December when he came off the bench against Brighton, just five days after he was left out of the squad for his outspoken comments when he questioned his future at the club after claiming he had been “thrown under the bus”.

It was a fractious few days in which there was speculation about the possibility of him leaving in the January window, but that was never a likely prospect and even less so after British-record signing Alexander Isak subsequently sustained a leg fracture.

Salah’s departure to the tournament in Morocco has allowed tensions to cool and Slot was keen to highlight the importance of having him available again, using the word “happy” three times to stress the point.

“First of all he needs to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday and then he comes back to us,” said the head coach ahead of the visit of Burnley.

“I am happy he comes back because Mo has been so important for this club, for me.

“Even if I had 15 attackers I still would have been happy for him to come back – but that is not our current situation.”

Slot said they were in conversation with the 33-year-old about how soon he would be available – Liverpool play Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday – after Saturday’s third-place play-off against Nigeria.

“That is something we are talking about together: what is expected of him over there and over here,” he said.

“First of all he needs to have an important game on Saturday.”

Salah returns to a squad which has been weakened by injuries to Isak and Conor Bradley, who has