Mohamed Salah was left out of the Liverpool squad for their 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League, with Reds icon Steven Gerrard speaking out on the situation
Steven Gerrard has insisted Mohamed Salah “needs to apologise” to Liverpool boss Arne Slot before it’s decided whether he returns to the fold. The 33-year-old was dropped from the squad for the Reds’ commanding 1-0 away win against Inter Milan in the Champions League, following his outburst in the mixed zone at Elland Road.
Slot has hinted that the next step must come from Salah if they’re to continue working together at Anfield. Gerrard shares this view, drawing parallels with when Luis Suarez was demoted to the U23s after falling out with Brendan Rodgers at the beginning of the 2013/14 season.
Suarez and Rodgers eventually patched things up, with Suarez going on to net 31 goals and provide 15 assists as Liverpool came agonisingly close to claiming the Premier League title. Gerrard, who acted as a “mediator” between Suarez and Rodgers at the time, believes Salah should be the one to make amends with Slot – and he’ll have to do it soon.
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Speaking on TNT Sports, Gerrard issued an ultimatum to Salah, stating the Egyptian “needs to apologise”.
The former captain said: “He said a couple of lines within the interview that are wrong, and I think he needs to apologise for that. I hope that Virgil van Dijk, as his captain, as his leader, will help put that together.
“I’ve been in that situation myself. The reality is, as a Liverpool fan now, Mohamed Salah is a world-class footballer, and he’s Liverpool’s best goalscorer.
“He helped win the league last year, so we can’t all have short memories. He’s really important for the football club, unless the situation’s a lot worse than what we’re seeing.
“Hopefully the situation can be sorted out in the coming hours and days because no one, from a Liverpool perspective, needs this to go on. The result last night helped. They were fantastic. It was a top team performance.”
Should Van Dijk choose to act as mediator between Salah and Slot, he might do well to seek Gerrard’s counsel. Back in 2013, Suarez and Rodgers found themselves in a similar standoff after the Uruguayan claimed the former Reds manager and the club had reneged on their promises, shortly after Arsenal’s failed attempt to sign him.
Suarez subsequently delivered an outstanding season as Liverpool came within two points of Premier League champions Manchester City.
Gerrard’s experience could serve as a blueprint for what might unfold if Salah makes amends with Slot and restores his standing at the club.
Salah’s last game for Liverpool, before he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations, could be this weekend’s home match against Brighton & Hove Albion, assuming he is reinstated into the squad.
Should Egypt progress deep into the tournament, Salah might not return to Liverpool until mid-January. In his mixed-zone interview, Salah also suggested that the match against the Seagulls might be his swansong for the Reds.
While in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Inter clash, Slot expressed uncertainty over whether Salah would don the Liverpool jersey again.
