Mohamed Salah has been named in Liverpool’s Champions League squad for Wednesday night’s clash against Marseille, ending his month-long absence after Africa Cup of Nations duty and closing a turbulent chapter in his relationship with head coach Arne Slot.
The Egypt forward returned to Merseyside on Tuesday and trained with his teammates before travelling to France, with Liverpool confirming his inclusion in the group. It marks his first involvement since the 2–0 home win over Brighton on 13 December, when he replaced Joe Gomez early in the first half before departing shortly afterwards for international duty.
Salah’s absence from the side followed an explosive interview after a chaotic draw at Leeds, in which he accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” as results deteriorated. He also claimed he had no relationship with Slot and openly questioned whether he would remain at Anfield. Those remarks, combined with internal tensions, saw him left out of three matches and excluded from the Champions League squad that travelled to Inter Milan.
Although he returned briefly against Brighton, Salah then left again for AFCON duty, with his Liverpool future still unresolved. His international campaign ended at the weekend as Egypt lost the third-place play-off, allowing the 33-year-old to rejoin club preparations earlier than expected.
While Salah was away, Slot’s side remained unbeaten in seven matches across all competitions, but the run was far from convincing. Four of those games ended in draws, Liverpool failed to score twice in that period, and only once did they net more than two goals — against League One Barnsley in the FA Cup. The attacking slowdown has intensified scrutiny over how the Reds reintegrate their most prolific forward.
Liverpool’s squad announcement also confirmed a notable absentee: Ibrahima Konate, who has returned to France for family reasons and will miss the Marseille fixture, leaving Slot short of options in central defence.
Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who remained in daily contact with Salah during AFCON, declined to comment on his mindset but said: “He will come back and then we just keep on going. He will be here and it’s the decision of the manager and the club. It is not about us, it is about him.”
Supporters have also weighed in on how Salah should be deployed on his return. Several have argued that moving him into a central striker role would preserve his goal threat while reducing defensive demands, particularly in light of Isak’s injury, which has made the tactical shift easier to implement. Such a move would also allow Liverpool to accommodate both Ekitike and Wirtz higher up the pitch.
Slot has previously described Salah as “so important” to Liverpool and confirmed discussions have taken place about his role in his first game back. His inclusion in the travelling squad now places those decisions under the spotlight, with Marseille providing the stage for a potential reintegration into a side still searching for attacking consistency.
After weeks of uncertainty, Salah’s return to competitive action represents not just a boost to Liverpool’s forward line, but a critical test of whether player and manager can reset after one of the most fractious episodes of the season.
