Arne Slot Says Mohamed Salah “Important For This Club” Despite Benching

For the first time in 53 Premier League matches, Mohamed Salah was not named to the starting lineup as Liverpool took on West Ham. Salah was left on the bench after the continued struggles that saw the Reds lose their last three matches by a combined score of 10-1.

After the match, head coach Arne Slot provided his explanation for dropping the Egyptian attacker. According to Slot, the decision was due to a glut of attacking talent and a high frequency of matches.

“Every time I don’t play Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitke or Mohamed Salah, it’s about that which is understandable was they are all outstanding players. Mo has had an unbelievable career at this club and will have a very good future at this club because he is such a special player.”

“Four games in 10 days with only 14-15 outfield players available for us, then you have to decide once in a while to make a certain line-up and you try to pick the best line-up for every single game.”

Slot also added that beyond managing minutes, the decision was also somewhat dictated by tactics and the way West Ham set themselves up. Despite not fielding Salah for the first time in the Premier League, Slot still feels that the Egyptian King still has an important role into the future.

“Today, with the way West Ham set-up with a full-back that is constantly high and a winger who is constantly inside, I thought that this could help the team. But Mo has been so important for this club and will be important for this club in the future.”