Salah receives Slot praise after Liverpool return against Marseille

Liverpool manager Arne Slot preserved praise for Egypt forward Mohamed Salah after he started his first game for the Reds in a 3-0 Champions League win away to Marseille on Wednesday.

The return of Salah has been a major talking point after he took aim at Liverpool in an explosive interview early last month. Salah accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” after he was benched for three games in a row and said he had no relationship with Slot.

His comeback came at a time when he had just returned from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) where Egypt’s journey ended in the semifinals stage after losing 1-0 against eventual winners Senegal, who defeated hosts Morocco 1-0 in the final.

Salah was so fit to play 90 today

Speaking after the game which saw the Reds score three at Orange Velodrome courtesy of Dominik Sozoboszlai, an own goal via goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and substitute Cody Gakpo, Slot had a few words on Salah’s return to starting XI.

“It helps he is already for so long with us so he knows his teammates and he knows how we want to play,” Slot told Liverpool website.

“It says a lot about how big of a professional he is that being away from us for a month in a different team, he was so fit to play 90 today. He was close to a goal, a good ball from Cody and usually that’s a goal for him.

“Tonight it wasn’t but it didn’t harm us because we scored three. I think overall, I saw a lot of very good individual performances as I saw against Arsenal, as I saw against Burnley and as I saw tonight.”

Salah will hope to keep his slot as Liverpool travel to face Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium on Saturday.