Everything Arne Slot had to say about Mo Salah before Marseille

Liverpool’s Champions League trip to Marseille has sharpened the focus on Mo Salah as we look to turn control into results on a pivotal European night.

Sitting on 12 points from six matches and outside the automatic qualification places, Wednesday’s game at the Orange Velodrome feels like a moment where fine margins could define our campaign.

That context made Salah’s return to the squad one of the central talking points when Arne Slot faced reporters on the eve of the fixture in France.

Arne Slot on Mo Salah return before Marseille

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, the Liverpool head coach was keen to play down any suggestion of an issue between himself and our No.11.

“As normal as it has always been,” the Dutchman said when asked about his relationship with the Egyptian.

“There was only one exception and that was the game against Inter where I didn’t take him.”

The former Feyenoord coach pointed to Salah’s final appearance before AFCON as evidence that nothing had changed.

“In the last game he was at Liverpool before he went to the AFCON, he came in after 15 or 20 minutes and I think he had a very good performance,” he explained.

Slot was referencing the 2-0 win over Brighton, adding that Salah left in a positive situation for both player and club.

“Again, he did what he usually does, scoring goals,” our boss said of the winger’s AFCON campaign.

The 47-year-old highlighted the importance of having natural wide players available, noting that only Salah and Cody Gakpo have played more than 100 Premier League minutes in their preferred wing roles this season.

That context matters after recent draws where we have created chances but failed to convert them consistently.

Why Mo Salah matters for Liverpool right now

Slot underlined Salah’s Champions League pedigree when explaining why his return could be decisive in Marseille.

“I think I saw today that he scored 45 goals for Liverpool at Champions League level,” he said, with Virgil van Dijk next on the list with five.

Those numbers align with Stephen Warnock’s view that Salah can bring an “edge” back into our attack after a run of performances that have lacked clinical finishing.

They also echo John Aldridge’s belief that the Egyptian will “want to prove a point” after AFCON and a quieter first half of the season.

With us dominating possession against sides like Burnley but struggling to kill games off, Salah’s presence offers a proven solution rather than a theoretical one.

Whether that translates into goals in one of Europe’s most hostile atmospheres remains to be seen, but Slot made it clear there is no drama, no rift, and no hesitation in welcoming him back.

For Liverpool, Marseille now represents an opportunity to match control with cutting edge, and Salah is central to that equation.

You can watch Slot’s pre-Marseille press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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