Arne Slot Justifies Leaving Mo Salah Out During Liverpool’s Struggles

Arne Slot has outlined why he chose to leave Mo Salah out of Liverpool’s starting XI for their 2-0 win at West Ham on Sunday.

Liverpool came into the match in crisis after a 4-1 home loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, which followed a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield. With pressure mounting and the club enduring their worst run of results in 70 years, Slot opted to shake things up for the trip to the London Stadium.

The most striking changes came on the right flank. Joe Gomez was recalled at right-back, while Dominik Szoboszlai—arguably Liverpool’s standout performer this season—was pushed into a right-wing role. Record signing Alexander Isak returned to lead the attack, with £116m arrival Florian Wirtz deployed just behind him. As a result, Salah, once viewed as virtually undroppable, was among the substitutes alongside Hugo Ekitike after starting against PSV.

Slot was naturally asked to explain Salah’s omission and said the congested schedule was the main factor.
“We’ve got more than just Mo on the bench, but I get why you’re asking,” he told Sky Sports. “It’s four games in ten days. I’ve got a lot of strong players, and today I went with this line-up. Sometimes Isak has been on the bench, sometimes Wirtz. It’s not only about those who don’t start, but also the ones who do.

“It’s never easy, because I have more than 11 players who deserve to play. It’s not the first time Mo has been left out, just like I’ve rested Isak, Wirtz or Ekitike.”

Liverpool ended their dreadful spell with the 2-0 win, with Isak netting his first Premier League goal before Cody Gakpo wrapped up the points late on.

Although Salah was crucial in last season’s title win and earned a lucrative new deal, he has struggled to hit his usual heights this campaign, recording four goals and two assists in the league.

Salah is also set to miss a chunk of Liverpool’s season as he prepares to captain Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from December 21 to January 18. With Egypt beginning their training camp on December 1 and a friendly against Nigeria scheduled for December 7, Egyptian FA president Hani Abu Rida is reportedly pushing for early access to Salah—and Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush. Both clubs, however, are expected to hold onto their players as long as possible while waiting for FIFA’s ruling on the matter.