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EPL Premier League Reaction Mohamed Salah is sent on as a substitute against Brighton Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images Liverpool’s game against Brighton & Hove Albion was always going to be centred around Mohamed Salah. Whether he was going to be involved or not, though, it was unlikely any definitive conclusions were going to be drawn about what happens next. Exclusion from the squad may have pointed towards an exit, but the fact he was included leaves the door for reconciliation open. Advertisement When Slot was asked after the Brighton game if he wants Salah to return from the Africa Cup of Nations and deliver more performances, he said: “Yes, I think he’s a Liverpool player and the moment he’s there I like to use him when we need him. ” Supporters did not pick sides, and while the fanbase has held a variety of opinions on the matter, at Anfield, they were united in voicing their desire for Salah and Liverpool’s relationship to continue. Speaking to French TV channel Canal+, team-mate Ibrahima Konate echoed the words of captain Virgil van Dijk in wanting their team-mate to stay and said he did not believe it was Salah’s Anfield farewell. “Personally, no, I don’t think so, ” Konate said. “Today you saw how much he (Salah) loves this club. “What happened with him, you have to understand the frustration sometimes felt by players who have such a career, who have done so much. He is a player that everyone loves, the coach loves, he loves the coach, everyone loves each other at this club. ” Salah will join up with Egypt for a pre-AFCON training camp before the tournament begins. He could feature in some capacity in their warm-up friendly against Nigeria on Tuesday. His lack of action for Liverpool means he will be slightly fresher than usual heading into the tournament. The next few weeks are set to be defining for what happens next and whether Salah and Liverpool’s relationship is repairable. Here is what we know… While Salah is away with Egypt, the expectation is that talks are set to continue between the club and the player’s representatives. Salah and Slot spoke on Friday with positive dialogue leading to the forward being included in the matchday squad against Brighton & Hove Albion. When quizzed after the match, Slot indicated there was no longer an “issue”. He told reporters, “For me, there’s no issue to resolve. For me, he’s now the same as any other player. You talk to your players if you are happy or unhappy with things. But there’s nothing to talk about after what happened against Leeds after the game. ” Advertisement It does not appear to be that simple, however. Slot was non-committal when asked if Salah had indicated he wanted to stay, preferring to keep the conversation that took place on Friday private. It was a different response to admitting he had “no clue” if the 33-year-old had played his last game for the club. AFCON does allow the situation to be further addressed by those involved, which, alongside Salah and Slot’s input, includes sporting director Richard Hughes, Fenway Sports Group’s chief of football Michael Edwards and Salah’s representative Ramy Abbas. The separation does allow for it to fall into the background slightly because no longer will there be repeated questions surrounding Salah’s inclusion or exclusion from line-ups because he is not available for selection, although it is likely to be a topic of conversation when Salah faces the media during the tournament. Should Egypt reach the knockout stages as expected, their progress will coincide with the opening of the transfer window. While Liverpool continue to insist they are planning for Salah to remain their player, it would allow interested clubs to put offers on the table. The player himself will want to focus solely on winning his country’s eighth AFCON title. Egypt play their final group game against Angola on December 29, so if they fall to a shock exit at the first hurdle, then Salah would be able to return to Liverpool for the start of the New Year. This is very unlikely given the added possibility of three teams progressing from four groups. It would mean he would miss fixtures against Tottenham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, but could be available for the January 1 game against Leeds United, depending on the plan to phase him back in and if conversations that have taken place mean he is still being considered for selection. Advertisement Depending on where they finish in the group, Egypt’s last-16 match will be held between January 3 and January 5. That would rule him out of the Leeds game and the away trip to Fulham on January 4. Should Salah’s team progress, then the quarter-final matches take place on January 9 and 10. That would see him miss Arsenal away, while the FA Cup game against Barnsley on Monday, January 12, could come too soon and the side is likely to be heavily rotated as well. The semi-finals will be held on January 14 and the final and third-place play-off will take place over the weekend of January 17 and 18. Burnley at home would be missed, and if Egypt were to win the tournament, celebrations would likely make his return for the Champions League game against Marseille on January 21 a doubt. The huge caveat to all of this is the outcome of ongoing conversations between the club and Salah’s representatives. In the short term, it means questions directed at him during press conferences and interviews are likely to be less Salah-focused until he nears a return. Regardless of everything that has happened, Slot was always going to lose Salah during this period, whether he was playing or not. In what was already a testing time for the head coach, he has managed to deal with the situation in a calm manner. One of his biggest stars going nuclear was the last thing he needed. “Usually I am calm and polite, but that doesn’t mean I am weak, ” he told reporters ahead of the Inter match. Throughout this situation, Slot’s authority has not been undermined. The 2-0 victory over Brighton extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run to five — three wins and two draws — in all competitions. They have far from solved the problems that have plagued them this season, but encouraging signs suggest the ship has been steadied. Advertisement Salah didn’t start in any of the five games, and while he was a threat throughout the Brighton match, Slot’s focus will be on continuing to build off the recent positive steps made with the players he has available. The Dutchman has navigated a potentially volatile situation professionally, and recent performances indicate the players are still behind him. Just as he did against Sunderland, Salah emerged from the substitute bench with a point to prove. He nearly made an immediate impact when he was released down the right channel by Dominik Szoboszlai. It was an immediate reminder of how Salah’s high positioning can benefit Liverpool. Alexis Mac Allister received the forward’s pass inside the box but opted to try and square it to Hugo Ekitike when shooting was the better option. It set the tone for his performance on the ball as Salah was a consistent threat, creating four chances from open play and one from the corner to assist Ekitike’s second goal. A theme throughout Liverpool’s on-ball performance was their fluidity, but also their transition. Too often, Slot’s side have resorted to slow build-up, often during defeats due to the set-up of the opposition. Ekitike’s early goal changed that. Off the ball, Salah’s work rate was noticeable, including chasing back when Brighton launched a counterattack from a Liverpool corner. It is not as if Salah has never done this before, but this example and his general intensity and attitude off the ball were encouraging. Liverpool also seemed to be better prepared for when Brighton targeted the space behind Salah. In this example, Ferdi Kadioglu received the ball but faced pressure immediately from Ryan Gravenberch. Ibrahima Konate also stepped out of position to pressure Diego Gomez, and it led to the defender winning back possession for his team. It didn’t always go to plan. There were two examples of when Brighton exploited the right-hand side, and both led to two of their better chances of the second half. Advertisement The first saw Kadioglu release Gomez in behind Szoboszlai. It is hard to blame Salah for this, although he affords the Brighton defender too much time to pick out his pass. This was more about Szoboszlai’s understandable lack of positional awareness as a right-back. It eventually led to Brajan Gruda flashing a shot wide. The second saw Salah — who had seconds earlier nearly been released in on goal, before continuing to press the goalkeeper — remain in a narrow position, allowing space on the flank. Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen exploited that with a pass to Kadioglu and Brighton moved up the pitch. Kaoru Mitoma failed to convert after a slick one-two with Georginio Rutter. Neither chance was scored, and when you look at Liverpool’s structure, they had enough players to defend the situation — Brighton just put together effective attacks. The away side had shown their ability to create before Salah had even entered the pitch and their best chance — when Gomez hit the post in the second half — had nothing to do with Salah. The trade-off that happened so often last season was Salah putting the ball in the net himself. The two counterattacks at the end of the game demonstrated the killer instinct he has been lacking this season. In added time, he blazed over when set up by Federico Chiesa inside the area, and then overhit a simple pass aimed for Andy Robertson. You would expect Salah to do better with both. It was a favourable situation for Salah to be introduced into, but it also served as a reminder of what he can bring to a Liverpool attack that has lacked spark too often this season. The more of those situations he gets in, the more likely it is that he will convert. It does not automatically make him a starter again, something Salah will have to accept if he does stay, but that issue no longer has to be at the forefront of Slot’s mind for potentially the next month. Andrew Jones is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Burnley FC and Liverpool FC. Having graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Journalism, Andrew has had written work published for the Liverpool Echo, Chelsea FC and Preston North End. Follow Andy on Twitter @adjones_journo