Will he return? "Salah" candidly discussed by "Arne Slot" after the time to return to Liverpool, near the end of AFCON 2025.
On 16 January 2026, Arne Slot, manager of Liverpool, currently 4th in the league, spoke at a press conference before the 22nd round Premier League match of the 2025-26 season, hosting Burnley, who are 19th and second-last in the standings, scheduled for Saturday, 17 January.
Liverpool is set to welcome back star striker Mohamed Salah, who has been absent for a month due to his national team duties with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025. Egypt lost 0-1 to Senegal in the semi-finals, narrowly missing out on their first-ever title.
However, Mohamed Salah still has a scheduled match with Egypt against Nigeria in the third-place playoff on Saturday, 17 January, before returning to Liverpool. It remains to be seen whether this schedule will be followed.
Mohamed Salah previously gave a fiery interview before joining Egypt's national team, after being dropped as a substitute by Liverpool for several consecutive matches. He complained that some people no longer wanted him at the club and that he had no relationship with Arne Slot anymore.
Salah also hinted at a possible transfer during the January winter transfer window, despite having recently extended his contract until June 2027. He said the Premier League match in which Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 on 13 December might have been his last game with the "Reds."
Most recently, Arne Slot spoke about Mohamed Salah, who is about to finish AFCON 2025, saying, "First of all, he has an important game for Egypt this Saturday, then he will come back to us."
"I am happy that he will return. Mo is very important to this club. For me, I am glad he is coming back. Even if I have 15 forwards, I would still be happy if he returned. But our current situation is not like that."
"We are discussing the away match at Marseille (UEFA Champions League on 21 January). We are talking with him about what we expect from him there and here. But first, he has an important game on Saturday, and next week he will be able to return."
Regarding clearing the air with Mohamed Salah after his fiery public comments, Liverpool's manager replied, "Whatever happened between Mo and me, whether on the phone or here, will stay between the two of us. I don't think it's necessary to disclose all the private conversations I have had."