"I spoke to him, he looked really relaxed and in a good mood. Now, let’s go.”
The last three words of Jurgen Klopp's most recent update on Mohamed Salah could have very easily been viewed as a manager laying down the gauntlet to his star man as a season that hints at so much glory enters the home stretch.
Salah, now up to seven games without a goal, is enduring the biggest drought of his Anfield career since moving from Roma in the summer of 2017.
He was spared the arduous and energy-sapping task of turning out for duty during the international break and instead was afforded his first real rest since the summer that he signed for the club.
Desperation to rehab a shoulder injury in the aftermath of the Champions League final, coupled with his half-fit participation in last summer's World Cup mean Salah has enjoyed little time to himself since becoming a Liverpool footballer in June 2017.
So any chance he gets to unwind, relax and switch off should be welcomed from supporters desperate to see their side land a first league title for nearly three decades.
The man Reds fans so affectionately refer to as the 'Egyptian King' has been marooned on 49 Premier League goals for his current club since he confidently tucked away one at the Kop End against Bournemouth in early February.
Such tribulations in front of goal make it easy to paint the picture of a player in dire need of rest and relaxation.
In an era of knee-jerk reactions and half-baked 'narratives' it is the most easy of conclusions to arrive at.
The importance of Mohamed Salah's Liverpool goals revealed as Alisson Becker proves his worth
But while a chance to recharge the batteries is welcomed by the 26-year-old, Salah's performances - even without the currency of those precious goals - don't quite tally up to a player who needs to be given a breather.
See, for example, his electric give-and-go to put it on a plate for Roberto Firmino to get Liverpool back in it at Burnley earlier this month. Or his sumptuous cross for Sadio Mane's second against Bayern Munich.
“People can look at Salah and say he hasn’t scored for a few games but so what?" Vladimir Smicer astutely surmised to Goal.com this week.
"We are still winning games, we are top of the league and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. And we still believe in him."
So what indeed. Even without finding the net, Salah is contributing an awful lot to the cause at present.
Why Mohamed Salah is still Liverpool's main man despite Sadio Mane's sensational form
Yes, an opportunity to unwind in Dubai and take his mind off the intense pressure cooker of a Premier League title challenge will be of benefit to the Egyptian.
However, it is too simplistic to attribute his lack of goals over the past seven games down to fatigue. In truth, the versatile attacker is having to adjust to teams who know he is one of the planet's elite marksmen.
Tactical tweaks and defensive systems have more often than not been designed to keep the reigning PFA Player of the Year quiet.
Such focus and attention from opposition defences Why Mohamed Salah is still Liverpool's main man despite Sadio Mane's sensational form in his own quest for personal glory. The Senegal speed merchant has netted 11 in as many games to keep Liverpool on course both domestically and in Europe.
Marko Grujic makes Liverpool transfer plea as European rivals ponder summer move
And while Mane's exploits have predictably - and deservedly - grabbed the headlines, the continued output from Salah is being keenly felt by Klopp , regardless of his ongoing pursuit for a 21st goal of the season.
Re-enacting the 44-goal campaign of last term was always going to be a tall order. Such spectacular feats are rarely recreated for players not named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
However, 64 goals in 93 appearances is proof enough that Liverpool have a rare talent in their midst. A player who is capable of landing the club a 19th league title, or a sixth European Cup.
Tales of Salah's on-field demise have greatly exaggerated . When he returns to Melwood this week to close in on the final six weeks of the Premier League season, his manager will only need to leave three words ringing in his ears.
A simple call-to-arms that can get Salah firing once more.
"Now, let's go."
