ARNE SLOT says he told Mo Salah that he needed to improve before the Liverpool star decided to take matters into his own hands in a bombshell interview.
The Premier League title-holders have travelled to Inter Milan for a Champions League showdown tonight.
But Salah was ruthlessly left out of the squad after he took aim at Slot and influential figures behind the scenes in the wake of the 3-3 draw with Leeds on Saturday.
The Egyptian, 33, made his frustrations clear when he was surrounded by journalists in the Elland Road mixed zone.
Salah made accusations that he has been thrown under the bus and that his relationship with Slot is broken.
But the Dutch tactician has revealed that he had talks with the forward before the decision was made to drop him from the starting line-up.
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Slot told Amazon Prime Video: “We’ve spoken a lot. Before I made the decision not to start him.
“We’ve had several conversations. Some long and some were a bit shorter about what I do with almost every player, by the way.
“What I expect, what players need to do better. But I didn’t speak to him after his comments in the media.”
Slot also again refused to say if the Egypt star will play another game for the club.
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Asked if Salah has a future at the club, and if his desire to say goodbye against Brighton was a farewell ahead of Afcon or something bigger, Slot replied: “It’s true that he goes to the Afcon, that is what he said.
“I cannot exactly tell you what the future brings, but he’s not here with us today.”
The manager also insisted that he could not confirm whether Salah was alluding to him after he made it clear he reckons someone wants to push him out of Liverpool.
He added: “I’m not too sure if he means me. The only one that can answer that question is him.”
After being left on the bench against Leeds, when Liverpool threw away a two-goal lead, Salah hit out.
The former Chelsea man said: “I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club.
“Everybody can see that during the years and especially last season.
“It seems like the club is throwing me under the bus. That’s how I feel.
“It’s very clear that someone wants me to get all the blame.
“I said many times before I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why.
“It’s not acceptable for me. I don’t know why that happened always to me, I don’t get it. If I was somewhere else, the club will protect its player.
“I don’t know why I’m in that situation now but again it’s how I see it.”
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