Arne Slot has insisted he has “no issue to resolve” now with Mohamed Salah after bringing him back into the Liverpool team following his explosive interview at Leeds.
Salah came off the bench to get an assist in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brighton, seven days after he had said he had no relationship with Slot, claiming he had been thrown under the bus as the club had made him a scapegoat and broken promises to him.
Slot was part of the decision to omit him from the squad who he took to Italy for Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League but held talks with Salah on Friday, when he determined the forward was available for selection again.
And now he argued their problems are in the past and that he will treat Salah the same as anyone else in his squad.
He said: “For me, there is no issue to resolve. For me, he is now the same as any other player. You talk to your players if you are happy or unhappy with things. There is nothing for me to talk about after what happened against Leeds after the game.”
Slot accepted that others might have exiled Salah from the team for longer but praised the Egyptian for his display against Brighton on his return.
He added: “The reason he wasn’t in Milan was his interview and the question after that - and everybody has a different opinion - is should he be once, twice, three times, four times, four months or 12 years [out of the squad]? Every manager makes different decisions on that.
“I spoke to him the day before the game. I usually never say anything about what we talk about, I am not going to make an exception now but I think actions speak louder than what has been said and he was in the squad again and when I had to make my first substitution, I brought him in and he performed as every fan, including me, would like him to today.
"It was an easy decision to put him in the squad. I think he is a Liverpool player and the moment he is there I like to use him when we need him. When he came in, he had the performance like you would want him to give. He was a threat and that is very important. He was constantly involved. That was pleasing but not a surprise to see.”
