Slot refuses to confirm Salah will play final Anfield game before summer exit

Arne Slot has refused to confirm whether Mohamed Salah will feature in what could be his farewell appearance at Anfield, with Liverpool hosting Brentford on Sunday in the final Premier League game of the season.

Asked directly at his pre-match press conference on Friday whether Salah would be involved, the Liverpool manager kept his cards close to his chest. “I never say anything about team selection,” Slot said, offering no further clarity on the situation.

Salah is leaving Liverpool at the end of the campaign after nine years at the club, bringing the curtain down on one of the most decorated individual spells in the club’s history. The relationship between player and manager has not always been smooth this season — Salah was publicly dropped at one point and more recently used social media to call for Liverpool to return to the high-intensity style associated with Jurgen Klopp’s tenure.

Slot pushed back on the framing of those comments, suggesting the media had drawn conclusions that were not fully warranted. “You are doing a lot of assumptions,” he said. “First of all you say that he wants to play that style and then say it is not my style. I think Mo was really happy with the style we played last year as it led to us winning the league.”

The Dutchman was keen to steer the conversation back to the immediate task at hand. Liverpool are not yet mathematically certain of a top-five finish and Champions League qualification — a point against Brentford would secure it, though Bournemouth overtaking them remains an unlikely scenario.

“I don’t think it is that important what I feel about it,” Slot said. “What is important is that we qualify for the Champions League on Sunday and I prepare Mo and the whole team in the best possible way for the game. I was very disappointed after our loss against Villa because a win would have given us qualification for the Champions League which we didn’t get. Now there’s one game to go which is a vital one for us as a club.”

Despite the tensions, Slot was measured in his assessment of his relationship with Salah heading into the final week. “We both want what’s best for the club, we both want the club to be successful and that’s the main aim,” he said.