FootyChatter.com

Liverpool beat Inter 1-0 at the San Siro without Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian was left out of the squad for comments made in an explosive interview last weekend Dominik Szoboszlai's late goal from the penalty spot helps Liverpool into eighth place in the Champions League table Manager Arne Slot says "tonight it should be all about the players that are here" after being asked about Salah's omission in his post-match news conference Former boss Jurgen Klopp tells BBC Sport "you only have problems with Salah if he is not playing" in new documentary Mo Salah: Never Give Up Ex-Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock says "you would still want Salah in your team" Does Salah have a future at Anfield after his outburst? Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Written by Harry Poole, Craig Nelson and Karan Vinod. Edited by Sean Kearns. Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Call me crazy (I'm sure most people will), but what about starting him against Brighton? Is there a more motivated player than Salah right now, out there to prove everyone wrong? Steve Should Mohamed Salah be left out again on Saturday, with Arne Slot reporting no progress over the coming days, the player will head to the Africa Cup of Nations with his future at the club in doubt as the January transfer window approaches. Salah has 250 goals in 420 Liverpool appearances to date, with his 29 top-flight goals in the 2024-25 campaign helping the Anfield side win the Premier League title last season. Salah, who joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017, signed a new two-year contract with the club in April. But he has scored just five goals in his 18 appearances across the Premier League and Champions League so far this season. The Saudi Pro League has for a long time held ambitions to add Salah - arguably the most recognisable Middle Eastern player on the planet - to a roster of global superstars that includes the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane, with sources indicating that Al-Hilal, managed by Simone Inzaghi, are among the teams interested. Click 'Get Involved' to have your say I completely agree, Salah can say what he wants, in the same way I can tell my boss to get stuffed. The difference is that I understand that doesn't absolve me of consequences. He's done something out of order, and it's a consistent behaviour in the press. He needs to humble himself. Harry Over the past few months, BBC Sport has spoken to some of those who know Mohamed Salah best to find out more about the personality and resilience of the man behind the goals and awards. Few are perhaps as well-placed to speak about the Egypt international as his former Liverpool coach, who won every major trophy in English and European football while managing Salah at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp said: "We are all massively influenced by our past - how we were raised, where we grew up. Mo knew early on [in his life] that he had to do more than others. "He always developed. He never stops. That is his mindset. After each summer break he came back and had a new skill. It was like he had spent the whole time just practising one particular type of pass. "We pushed each other, just to make sure that we would never stop. And we never did stop. That moment lifting the Premier League bonded us for life. He will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time. "I wouldn't say he is easy to manage, but he is also not difficult to manage. You [only] have problems with Mo Salah if he is not playing or you take him off. " Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Everybody falls out with their boss at some point. Just because football has a high media profile doesn’t mean this is too serious. Slot and Salah have a private conversation and sort their differences out, and decide what happens next. Andy Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool Stephen Warnock Former Liverpool defender on Football Daily I don't think he [Mohamed Salah] plays in or is involved in the Brighton game at home [on Saturday] - I think it causes too many issues around the team. That allows him to go away to Afcon, to settle the situation down a little bit, and then the club and him have to come to a decision as to where they see the future of Mohamed Salah and what that looks like. Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool Ian Dennis BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter I don't think he can be involved [against Brighton] unless Mo Salah apologises and says 'look I was wrong' and that maybe is a way forward. But he does go on 15 December to Afcon so it is just that Brighton game [he will miss] and then that might allow things to settle down. Click 'Get Involved' to have your say This feels like Ronaldo at United, a club legend nearing the end and spitting his dummy out. To hit their heights takes unbelievable self discipline, but that usually comes with a selfish streak, which does a struggling team no favours. Thanks for everything Mo but there is a bigger picture. Steve Liverpool contest one more Premier League game before Mohamed Salah is due to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins Sunday, 21 December. The Reds host Brighton at Anfield on Saturday at 15: 00 BST - and the big question in the lead-up to that fixture will again be whether Salah is included in Arne Slot's plans. It remains to be seen whether the two will hold talks before then, and if the plan will be for an immediate return to the squad. Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Salah has the right to say what he feels, and it is up to the manager to address the problem. This is Slot's making, and he should be the one taking the initiative to address Salah's concerns before the AFCON! Lee Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool For those that haven't been able to keep up with the situation at Liverpool, here's a quick reminder of how we got here. In an explosive mixed-zone interview following Liverpool's draw with promoted side Leeds United on Saturday evening, Mohamed Salah told reporters that he feels he has been "thrown under the bus" by Liverpool and his relationship with head coach Arne Slot has broken down. Salah was subsequently left out of the squad for Liverpool's Champions League match at Inter Milan. Facing numerous questions about Salah in his pre-match news conference, Slot said he had "no clue" if the Egypt winger had played his final game for the club, adding he was surprised to hear the comments. After Liverpool won without Salah on Tuesday, Slot suggested Salah may need to take the first step in rebuilding their relationship. Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Magnificent memories, but time has taken its toll. A very poor performance, media-wise, from a very well-paid player who should have acknowledged his poor form and supported the manager. The chants for Slot last night showed Salah has made a major miscalculation. Colin Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool Stephen Warnock Former Liverpool defender on Football Daily It depends what he [Mohamed Salah] sees his future as and whether he wants away from Liverpool and this was forcing the issue to get out of the football club. There is always a way back if the two can come together and sort things out. You would still want Mohamed Salah in your team and in your squad because he's a game changer - the numbers speak for themselves. Whether that's achievable or not, we will have to wait and see. Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool Dan Clubbe Liverpool fan on BBC Radio 5 Live [Liverpool's win at Inter Milan] showed a bit of togetherness and unity, which we haven't seen a lot of. Given what has gone on, to put that performance in, was just really, really pleasing. The first chance they have got to show a reaction showed they are really together and behind the manager, still backing his methods and his ways. It could have gone one way or the other. It felt like one or two might have downed tools but to a man last night they were absolutely exceptional. Who knows what happens next in the Salah saga, but for a player who in my mind is at Mount Rushmore levels as a Liverpool legend, for him to be potentially going out like this just feels really sad. Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Of course, he does have a future with Liverpool, but Salah will have to eat some humble pie. He has not covered himself in glory with this reaction. Slot and Liverpool have been open, honest, loyal and discreet. Mo would do well to learn a lesson here. Mark We did hear from Mohamed Salah yesterday. Sort of. The Liverpool star posted a photo of himself training alone in the club's gym while his team-mates prepared for their match in Milan. Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Anfield season ticket holder here - Salah is the best player I have ever seen. He has, though, let himself and the club down. Delighted for Slot and the team last night. Onwards to Brighton on Saturday. Onwards to AFCON and Saudi for Mo, with my huge thanks for everything. Gary Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool Arne Slot's pre-match news conference before his side faced Inter Milan on Tuesday was dominated by questions over Mohamed Salah's future. Speaking to Amazon Prime after the game, the Liverpool boss said: "Everyone makes mistakes in life, so the first thing should be does the player feels he made a mistake as well? "I haven't said that I'm not going to talk with him. And then the next question is, should the initiative come from him, or from me? " In his news conference, Slot clarified: "I didn't say who anything about who should make the first step. "Tonight it should be all about the players that are here. In the rich history Liverpool has had they have had many of these evenings. " Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Salah doesn’t have a future at the club. He badmouthed the club publicly, he was petulant and hadn’t contributed much. Time to sell him and use the money on our defence. He destabilised a club already under a lot of pressure, which is selfish and arrogant, not the Liverpool way. Steve It's time for him to go. No one is bigger than the club Anthony Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool Ian Dennis BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter It's worth bearing in mind that Inter were unbeaten in their last 18 home games in the Champions League, going all the way back to September of 2022. Liverpool were so impressive, it was such a significant victory. In the absence of the much talked about Mo Salah, [Dominik] Szoboszlai stepped up to score. It was Liverpool's work-rate, their organisation, their defensive discipline, the way they pressed Inter, restricting the home side to few opportunities. I would imagine that with everything that has gone on in recent days this would be an extremely satisfying win for Arne Slot. Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.