Liverpool manager Arne Slot attempted a diplomatic response to journalists’ questions about why Mohamed Salah was left on the bench for Sunday’s match against West Ham.
Salah has failed to score for almost the last month, yet Slot insisted on starting him in every match, before surprising everyone by leaving him out of the West Ham game.
Slot explained his latest decision, saying, “We have four games in 10 days. We have a lot of good players, so today I chose this lineup.”
He added, “Sometimes Isaac is on the bench, sometimes it’s Wirtz, so I understand why the question is based on the substitutes, but it also depends on the starters.”
He concluded, “It’s not an easy decision. We have more than 11 good players – this isn’t the first time I haven’t played Mohamed Salah, just as I decided not to play Isaac and Wirtz.”
This marks the first time Mohamed Salah has not started a Premier League match, although he was rested twice in the Champions League last season.
Generally speaking, the last time Salah was on the bench for Liverpool in the Premier League was also against West Ham at the London Stadium, when he had a touchline altercation with Jürgen Klopp.
