Mohamed Salah's situation at Liverpool reached a critical point this Monday, when the club decided to exclude him from the squad for the Champions League match against Inter Milan. The decision came after an interview that caused an internal stir, in which the striker expressed discontent with the club and manager Arne Slot.

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According to ESPN, the Egyptian has been temporarily removed from the squad while the impact of his statements is analyzed, which also casts doubt on whether he will be considered for the weekend match against Brighton, which would be his farewell before traveling to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah did attend the training ground on Monday morning for the final training session before the trip to Italy, but his name did not appear on the list of 19 players called up. The absence raised concerns once again, especially since the striker didn't play a single minute in the 3-3 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road, something he openly questioned. The Egyptian didn't hide his frustration from the press: “I'm very, very disappointed. I've done so much for this club in recent years, and especially last season. Now I'm on the bench and I don't know why. It seems like the club is using me as an excuse. That's how I feel. It's clear someone wants to use me to take all the blame,” he said. The tension with Slot was also evident when he added: “They made me a lot of promises in the summer… and now I'm on the bench for three games in a row. I've said it many times, I had a good relationship with the manager and now I don't have one.” The Egyptian's future after the Africa Cup of Nations and the club's sporting crisis. The striker, whose contract runs until 2027, even hinted that he might not return to the club after the continental tournament. The lack of playing time against Leeds marked a turning point for him. With significantly lower numbers than the previous season—five goals and three assists so far this season, one of them a penalty—,Salah has seen his role in the team diminish despite being the architect of last season's Premier League title with 29 goals and 18 assists. Amid this tense atmosphere, the player shared a message that worried the fans: “I've told my parents to come to the game against Brighton. I don't know if I'm going to play or not, but I'm going to enjoy it. I'm going to have a good time because I don't know what's going to happen. I'm going to be at Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to the Africa Cup of Nations.” While the uncertainty surrounding Salah grows, Liverpool's sporting crisis deepens. The team is ninth in the Premier League, ten points behind leaders Arsenal, and their situation in the Champions League is no better: they occupy thirteenth place with nine points after five matches.