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Salah row not affecting Liverpool, insist teammates
AP •  December 11th, 2025 9:01 am
Liverpool players say the drama over Mohamed Salah is not affecting the dressing room | Photo: AP
Liverpool teammates Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones say that Mohamed Salah has the right to make his own decisions about his future and insist the superstar's comments haven't impacted personal relationships within the dressing room.
Speaking after Tuesday's (Wednesday NZ time) 1-0 Champions League win at Inter Milan, the similarity of the duo's responses suggested a players' stance in an attempt to reduce the fall-out from the Egypt international's criticism of head coach Arne Slot.
Szoboszlai - probably Salah's main confidant among the players - walked a carefully-balanced line when asked about the situation.
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai scored in Milan in his friend Mohamed Salah's absence | Photo: AP
"I'm very close with him. It's him and his own choice with what he is doing with his own life and his own career," said the Hungary captain, who benefited from Salah being left at home by being given the responsibility of scoring the 88th-minute penalty at San Siro.
"It's nothing to do with the players, I guess, so nothing to say about it."
Salah alleged on Saturday evening that he had been "thrown under the bus" in relation to the team's run of poor results from September to November - a period during which he scored just twice.
He also questioned whether he had a future beyond this weekend's home match against Brighton ahead of his departure for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Asked whether he wanted Salah to stay, Szoboszlai replied: "It's not our decision, as players.
"I love him as a human being, as a friend of mine. As a player, he has done so much for this club. It's going to be the club's and his decision."
Jones, who impressed on the left side of a midfield diamond as Slot changed his formation to incorporate twin strikers Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, denied Salah's remarks had changed the atmosphere in the dressing room.
But he said the win, making it four matches unbeaten, had definitely provided a much-needed confidence boost after Saturday's 3-3 draw at Leeds was followed by the Egyptian going public with his frustrations.
"Mo is his own man," the midfielder said. "I can't really speak on another man and his business. Everyone knows how much of a legend Mo is.
"If you go and win a game, it's always the best feeling. We have just won an important game against a great team. The mood is high."
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard says he some sympathy for Mohamed Salah | Photo: Jason O’Brien/AAP
Meanwhile, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard says he has sympathy for Salah after his public outburst but the former club skipper believes the Egyptian's 'thrown under the bus' comments went too far.
"He is obviously really upset that he is not playing, which I respect, he wants ​to help the team - which I respect," Gerrard said.
"A couple of lines about throwing people under the bus ‍is wrong - he needs to reverse a little bit from that and he needs to deal with that with the manager.
"I know in time when this all calms down that Mo will think that 'I shouldn't have said ​that, ​I was a bit emotional, I was a ​bit hasty'.
"At the end of the day, Liverpool Football Club ​needs Mo Salah back playing well, back scoring goals because he is the best player, the best scorer, and he will help them get out of this 'crisis' in my opinion."
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