Arne Slot reacts to Mohamed Salah outburst as Liverpool dealt fresh injury blow | OneFootball

Liverpool’s No11 has not been named in the squad to face Inter Milan

Arne Slot has explained why Mohamed Salah is not in the Liverpool squad for Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan.

The Liverpool head coach faced the media on Tuesday evening and was asked if Salah was referring to him regarding the bus comment.

“The only one who can answer that is Mo himself,” Slot said.

"I can guess but I don't think that is the right thing to do at this moment in time. It's hard for me to tell who he means in that situation."

Mohamed Salah trained with the Liverpool squad prior to the Champions League clash against Inter Milan

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Slot added that Salah’s reaction to being left out of the squad was a “short one but refused to confirm whether the Liverpool No11 has played his last game for the club.

"We let him know that he's not travelling with us so that was the only communication that there has been from us to him,” Slot continued.

"Of course, before Saturday, the two of us have spoken a lot. Sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

"That's not the way I feel [that relationship has broken down] but he has the right to feel how he feels things. I haven't felt that at all - until Saturday evening, for sure.

"When I didn't play him, usually players don't like the manager that much but he was very respectful to my staff, to his teammates and he trained really hard.

"So, to an extent, it was a surprise to me when I heard after the game that he gave the comments that he gave.

"Like I said, it's not the first time and won't be the last time that when a player doesn't play, that he says something similar to what he did.

"My reaction to that is also clear. He isn't here tonight."

We let him know that he's not travelling with us so that was the only communication that there has been from us to him

Arne Slot

In addition to Salah, neither Federico Chiesa or Cody Gakpo have made the trip to Italy.

Slot has revealed Chiesa is suffering with illness and could join up with the squad on Tuesday, though confirmed a fresh injury blow with Gakpo set for spell on the sidelines.

"Federico is ill, so that is poor timing you could say,” Slot said. “But it's not something you can do anything about.

"So, we are monitoring his situation. If he has an amazing recovery – which I, we, doctors don't expect – he might travel tomorrow. But let's have a fair expectation, that's not what I expect.

"And Cody Gakpo unfortunately picked up an injury in the last game we played against Leeds and he will be out for a few weeks."