Salah Returns as Liverpool Eye Champions League Push in Marseille

Mohamed Salah made his long awaited return to the Liverpool squad on Tuesday as the Reds stepped up preparations for their Champions League encounter away to Marseille.

The Egyptian forward was pictured in high spirits during training at the club’s AXA centre, joining up with the rest of Arne Slot’s squad ahead of Wednesday night’s test in France. His return has been keenly watched, not only because of his importance on the pitch, but also due to the off field storm that surrounded him earlier in the season.

Salah had sparked headlines last month after accusing Liverpool of throwing him under the bus following a run of three consecutive games on the bench. He also revealed that his relationship with Slot was strained, comments that sent shockwaves through the fanbase and fuelled speculation about his future.

Despite the tension, Salah later featured as a substitute in a 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton on December 13, where he registered an assist. Slot insisted after that match that the issue had been dealt with internally and that the club had moved on.

Speaking last week, Slot welcomed Salah back from international duty but remained tight lipped about the nature of their discussions. Egypt went on to finish fourth at the Africa Cup of Nations, allowing Salah to return to Merseyside earlier than expected.

There had been uncertainty over whether the 33 year old would be involved against Marseille, but Liverpool confirmed on Tuesday that Salah was named in the 20 man travelling squad.

Mohamed Salah is included having returned to the club after representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, read a statement on Liverpool’s official website.

Liverpool head into the fixture sitting ninth in the league phase of the Champions League. Only the top eight qualify automatically for the last 16, with teams placed from ninth to 24th forced into a play off round, making the trip to France a significant one for Slot’s side.

Salah remains one of the most decorated players in Liverpool’s modern history. He is the club’s third highest goalscorer of all time with 250 goals in 421 appearances, having won two Premier League titles and the Champions League since arriving from Roma in 2017.

He signed a lucrative two year contract extension last year and played a central role in Liverpool’s title winning campaign, which delivered a record equalling 20th English top flight crown.

This season, however, has been far from straightforward. Salah has struggled to recapture his usual sharpness, managing just five goals in all competitions as Liverpool endured a difficult spell that saw their Premier League defence unravel with six defeats in seven matches from late September.

While results have since stabilised and the Reds are now unbeaten in 12 games across all competitions, they still find themselves 14 points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal.

As Liverpool turn their focus back to Europe, the return of Salah could prove pivotal, both in terms of quality on the pitch and calm behind the scenes.