Arne Slot did not confirm if Mohamed Salah will be in Liverpool’s lineup for the Premier League clash against Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday. Salah was benched during the 2-0 victory over West Ham United on Sunday.
The forward ranks fourth among all-time Premier League top scorers and is set to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations on December 15.
“It’s normal for a player of his caliber to be disappointed,” manager Slot told reporters on Tuesday. “He has been exceptional for this club for many years and will continue to be so in the future.
“He wasn’t the only one upset about not starting. His conduct was what you’d expect from a professional. Mo is very disciplined and knows how to stay fit.”
Salah’s final game before the Nations Cup should be against Brighton on December 13. If Egypt reaches the final, he could miss seven Liverpool matches.
The champions are eighth in the standings with 21 points, nine points behind leaders Arsenal, marking their worst 12-game run in over 70 years.
Slot’s team has lost their last two home matches, but Sunderland, sitting sixth with 22 points, haven’t won at Anfield since 1983.
A positive for Slot is the performance of record signing Alexander Isak, who netted his first Premier League goal in eight appearances against West Ham.
Florian Wirtz returned after missing two games due to injury, and Joe Gomez made his first league start in 11 months.
Sunderland is the first of three games in six days for Liverpool, including a Champions League fixture at Inter Milan next Tuesday.
“It was encouraging to see Florian perform well; it’s not the first time he’s impressed us. Alex played well too,” Slot said.
“(Isak) mentioned yesterday he felt a bit of cramp, so we’ll see how he trains today.
“I doubt (Isak, Wirtz, and Gomez) can play three 90-minute games in a week. However, they can participate in all three if they remain uninjured.”
