Mo Salah Set For Return Before Liverpool Season Ends
mo salah was forced off in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace last weekend, but Arne Slot said the forward is expected back before the season ends. Liverpool have four games left, and Salah's return would give them another major scorer as they chase a Champions League place and prepare for his exit from Anfield.
Slot's Salah update
Slot told reporters on Friday: "We expect him to be back in the final part of the season, but not for Sunday". Liverpool travel to face Manchester United on Sunday, so the forward will miss that game while he continues to recover from the minor muscle injury the club announced on Wednesday.
"It’s a big relief that his injury is minor, so that he’s able to play for us, that he’s able to play at the World Cup," Slot said. The manager then added: "And if there’s ever a player who deserves to get a big send-off, it’s definitely Mo."
Crystal Palace and Anfield
Salah was taken off last weekend in the home win over Crystal Palace and received a standing ovation as he walked off. The injury update turned that stoppage into the main issue from the match, because Liverpool now have to manage the rest of the run-in without knowing whether he can be eased back quickly enough for the final part of the campaign.
That run-in carries extra weight because Salah will leave Anfield at the end of the campaign. Since arriving in 2017, he has scored 257 goals in 440 appearances for Liverpool, leaving him behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt on the club's list of leading scorers.
Liverpool's final four games
December also added a wrinkle to the story, when Salah said he had "no relationship" with Slot after being dropped for three consecutive games. Liverpool have since won three straight, and the forward's return would come into a side trying to keep that momentum while finishing the season strong.
For Liverpool, the practical issue is simple: the front line has to carry on against Manchester United without him on Sunday, then hope Salah is fit for the closing stretch. For Salah, the clock is ticking toward an Anfield farewell that Slot clearly wants to make memorable.
