Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he is “not weak” and denies the situation with Mohamed Salah has undermined his authority.
The 33-year-old winger has been left out of the squad to face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday after giving an explosive interview two days ago, claiming he was “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and his relationship with Slot had broken down.
Slot says he does not feel that way and was “surprised” by Salah’s comments.
Speaking in Milan on Monday night, Slot added he had “no clue” if Salah, who signed a new two-year contract in April, had played his last game for Liverpool, but added he was a “firm believer that there is always a possibility to return for a player”.
He said his conversation with Salah to tell him he would not travel to Milan was “a short one”.
“Usually I am calm and polite, but that doesn’t mean I am weak,” he said.
“If a player has these commands about so many things, then it’s about the club and me to react. We reacted in a way you can see – he’s not here.”
He added, “I don’t feel my authority is undermined; it is not the way I feel it.
“After tomorrow, we will look at the situation. There is always the possibility of a player returning. I have no clue [if he has played his last game for Liverpool] – I cannot answer that question at this point in time.”
Salah said in his interview it was “very clear that someone wants me to get all the blame”, but Slot says he does not know if that comment was aimed at him and gave his reasons for leaving Salah out for the past three games.
“It is hard for me to know who he was talking about,” Slot said.
“That is not the way I feel. He has the right to feel the way he does, but he does not have the right to share it with the media.
“He was very respectful and had trained really hard before the weekend – to that extent, it was a surprise to me the comments he gave.
“Yes, we were [on speaking terms], but it doesn’t mean we were always agreeing on things.
“But it is not the first or the last time that a player who is not playing has said something similar to that.
“We as a team have struggled this season. I have tried to come up with solutions – that is my job. We tried many things and we looked very vulnerable against Nottingham Forest and PSV so I decided to play with an extra midfielder.”
Sources told BBC Sport the decision to leave Salah at home was taken with the full support of Slot, and that it is in the best interest of all parties involved for the player to have a brief period away from selection given the nature and timing of his public comments.
It is understood there will be no formal disciplinary action taken by the club.
Egypt forward Salah departs for the Africa Cup of Nations next Monday and also looks likely to also miss Liverpool’s Premier League home game against Brighton on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
Salah has scored 250 goals for Liverpool since signing from Roma in 2017, but has just five in 19 games this season.
Slot has named a 19-man squad for Tuesday, with the Reds also missing forwards Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa, and defensive midfielder Wataru Endo.
‘I hope he plays for Liverpool again’
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson says Salah’s team-mates “have different thoughts” about his outburst, but the Brazil international wants the winger to return.
“This is not a situation that makes us happy, first and foremost because on a personal level we all love Mo,” he said.
“We were a little bit caught by surprise, but we know it is a personal situation, so we are leaving it between him and the club.
“What we believe does not come into things. What we want is for him and the club to reach an agreement in the best interests of him and the club, and all of the playing staff.
“I hope he plays again for the club.”
He added: “We as his team-mates and his friends, we hope the best thing happens for him, but as Liverpool FC players we want the best for the club as well. We want a win-win situation for everyone.”
Alisson also backed his manager Slot, adding: “We believe [in] his style of play and that he is capable of helping us to turn around this situation.”
Analysis – Slot makes it clear he is in charge
Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter, in Milan
Almost 48 hours after Salah spoke, this was Arne Slot’s chance to say his piece.
Monday was a public holiday in Milan but the media conference room inside the San Siro was still packed. It is hard to think of a more anticipated pre-match media conference in recent times.
Slot used his humour to start off by joking with a reporter that he asked five questions in one, but minute by minute, details began to emerge and it was clear to see who was in charge.
When BBC Sport asked him whether he understood Salah’s comments when the Egyptian said he was “thrown under the bus”, Slot said: “Usually I’m calm, I’m polite but I’m not weak. If a player has these comments about so many things, then it’s up to me and the club to react. We reacted in a way you can see because he’s not here.”
This was Slot on the front foot and he was backed later by goalkeeper Alisson, who insisted that the Liverpool squad are firmly behind the manager who won the Premier League.
That backing from a senior player was crucial on a night where Slot was asked if he felt his authority was undermined by the whole saga.
Slot categorically denied he felt that way, even if he was surprised when he heard the quotes on Saturday night.
The Liverpool coach did not delve too much into the specifics, insisting that his conversation with Salah was short, but he said enough to explain the situation without inflaming it any further.
And, importantly, the door is still open for Salah even though Slot said he had “no clue” whether the 33-year-old has played his last game for the club.
The club insist this was mainly because of Salah bringing his own future into question. Their position is that Salah still has a contract and as Slot said, he is a “firm believer” in the possibility for a player to return.
After 10 minutes of questions solely focused on Salah, the Liverpool media officer, sat next to Slot, was adamant it was time to move on to questions about the game itself.
Ultimately, though, regardless of how Liverpool fare tomorrow against Inter Milan, this is a story that will continue to dominate the agenda until there is a clear resolution.
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