Arne Slot admitted he has “no clue” if Mohamed Salah has played his final Liverpool game after the winger questioned his future following Saturday’s 3-3 draw against Leeds United in the Premier League.
Salah has been named as a substitute for Liverpool’s last three matches and played no part of the contest at Elland Road.
The 33-year-old trained with his team-mates as normal on Monday morning but was left out of Slot’s 19-man squad for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match against Internazionale Milano at the San Siro.
“We have let him know that he is not travelling with us [to Milan],” Slot said. “So that was the only communication that there has been from us to him [since Saturday].
“To an extent, it was a surprise to me when I heard after the game that he gave the comments that he gave.
"Usually I am calm and polite, but that doesn't mean I am weak.
"If a player has these commands about so many things, then it's about me and the club to react. We reacted in the way you can see - he's not here.
"I don't feel my authority is undermined, it is not the way I feel it.
"There is always the possibility to return for a player. I have no clue [if he has played his last game for Liverpool] - I cannot answer that question at this point in time."
After Inter, Liverpool have just one more game – against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield in the Premier League - before Salah joins up with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
When asked whether he would be considered for selection against the Seagulls, Slot responded: “After tomorrow [Tuesday] we will look at the situation again”.
Salah enjoyed one of the great individual campaigns of the Premier League era last season, scoring six more goals (29) and providing six more assists (18) than any other player in the division as Liverpool won the title.
He has struggled to replicate that form so far in 2025/26, although has directly contributed towards six league goals (four goals, two assists); only Cody Gakpo with seven (four goals, three assists) has a better return in Slot’s squad.
Slot said that tactical reasons were behind his decision to drop Salah from his starting line-up.
“I have tried to come up with solutions because it is my job,” Slot said.
“We looked very vulnerable in my opinion against [Nottingham] Forest and PSV and I decided to play with an extra midfielder in the game against West Ham which we won so I decided to do it one more time against Sunderland and at half-time I brought him [Salah] in.
“And against Leeds, we faced a 5-3-2 where I decided to play a 4-4-2 diamond with Hugo Ekitike a bit off the right side and Cody Gakpo a bit off the left with Florian Wirtz in between. I could have played Mo as well instead of Hugo but I decided to play Hugo.”
Salah will be unavailable for Liverpool until at least the end of the year with Egypt’s final AFCON group game against Angola taking place on 29 December. Should Egypt reach the final, Salah would not be due back to Merseyside until after 18 January 2026.