MILAN — Arne Slot admitted Monday that he didn't know whether Mohamed Salah will play again for Liverpool, after the Egypt star was dropped for the Reds' Champions League clash with Inter Milan.

Salah was left in England for Tuesday night's fixture at the San Siro following extraordinary criticism of Liverpool boss Slot, which came after he was left on the bench for the third consecutive game in a 3-3 draw against Leeds.

The 33-year-old said he felt like he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club and no longer had a relationship with Slot, sparking reports that Salah could be on his way out in January, despite signing a new contract in April.

Asked whether Salah, who has scored 250 times for Liverpool since signing from Roma in 2017, had played his last game for the Reds, Slot said: "I have no clue."

"I cannot answer that question at this moment in time," added Slot.

"He has every right to feel what he feels, but he doesn't have the right to share it with the media."

Salah, who was not even used as a substitute at Elland Road, is set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations after next weekend's home match against Brighton in the Premier League.

He made his explosive comments in the midst of a dismal season for both him and Liverpool.

Liverpool has won just four times in 15 matches across all competitions and sits 13th in the Champions League with nine points after being thumped 4-1 at home by PSV Eindhoven in its most recent European outing.

Since arriving on Merseyside, Salah has played a key role in Liverpool's two Premier League titles in 2020 and 2025, and its 2019 Champions League triumph — a spell that will be etched into the club's folklore.

Shadow of his former self

But, he has been a shadow of his former self during Liverpool's struggles this season — the Premier League champion is ninth in the table — with just four goals in 13 topflight appearances.

"I don't know why but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club ... I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame," Salah cryptically told reporters on the weekend.

Salah was dropped from the starting lineup for Champions League games against Galatasaray and Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this season in the first indication that Slot was growing frustrated with his poor form and lack of defensive effort.

His last Liverpool start was against PSV on Nov 26, while he is without a goal since netting against Aston Villa at the start of November.

His outburst risked undermining Slot's authority at a time when he is trying to drag the team out of a slump that has seen it win just four of its last 15 matches.

"I think all the players are going to have different thoughts about the situation. And that's okay," said Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who said that he hoped Salah "plays again for the club".

"We, as his teammates, as his friends, we hope the best thing happens for him. But, as Liverpool FC players, we want the best for the club as well. So we want a win-win situation for everyone."

A 'disgrace'

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labeled Salah "a disgrace "on Monday, following the Egypt star's stunning outburst.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Carragher, a 2005 Champions League winner with Liverpool, said: "I thought it was a disgrace what he did after the game.

"Some people have painted it as an emotional outburst. I don't think it was. I think whenever Mo Salah stops in a mixed zone, which he has done four times in eight years at Liverpool, it's choreographed with his agent to cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position.

"He's chosen this weekend to do this now, and he's waited I think for a bad result ... everyone involved with the club (feeling) like they're in the gutter, and he's chosen that time to go for the manager and maybe try to get him sacked."

Salah has been linked with a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League, and Carragher added: "What he's done off the pitch, I think the club has made the right decision in terms of him not going abroad. Whether he will play for Liverpool again, I don't know.

"I hope he does, because he's one of the greatest players we've ever had, but if you continue like that, and make statements like that, if he doesn't play, who knows."

AFP