Arne Slot has made clear he wants Mohamed Salah to stay at Liverpool and is due to reintegrate the Egypt international into his squad for the Brighton match, but Saudi clubs are watching and waiting

Arne Slot has made clear he wants Mohamed Salah to stay at Liverpool and is due to reintegrate the Egypt international into his squad for the Brighton match, but Saudi clubs are watching and waiting

Mohamed Salah returns to the Liverpool squad on Saturday for the Premier League clash with Brighton at Anfield before joining up with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations

Mohamed Salah returns to the Liverpool squad on Saturday for the Premier League clash with Brighton at Anfield before joining up with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations

Mohamed Salah is poised to rejoin the Liverpool squad for the visit of Brighton after constructive discussions with Arne Slot on Friday. The forward had been absent for the midweek Champions League win over Inter Milan, a decision taken in the aftermath of his extraordinary outburst following the dramatic 3-3 draw with Leeds. That omission sharpened the focus on a relationship under strain, even as Liverpool continue to navigate a demanding winter schedule.

Salah recall brings focus and uncertainty

Salah had again been left as an unused substitute at Elland Road, then spoke to reporters afterwards, claiming he had been made a scapegoat for Liverpool’s uneven form and that he had been “thrown under the bus”. Slot declined to confirm at his pre match press conference whether the Egyptian would be involved against Brighton, stressing that further dialogue was required. Those talks have since proved positive, with Salah now expected to be named in the Anfield squad, offering supporters at least a temporary farewell before heading to Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt. His longer term future remains unclear, adding intrigue to a fixture that already carries weight.

Photo: IMAGO Selection puzzles sharpen against Brighton

A place on the bench may await Salah on his recall. Slot has leaned towards a partnership of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, particularly with Cody Gakpo sidelined by a muscle injury. Isak did pick up a knock in the first half against Inter, and Slot suggested he may not be able to start against Brighton, though completing 68 minutes at the San Siro points to a minor issue rather than a significant concern.

Florian Wirtz, who won the decisive penalty from the bench in Italy, is pressing for a return to the starting XI. The German could replace Curtis Jones in a diamond midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, a configuration designed to control tempo and supply the forwards.

Defensive decisions shape Liverpool approach

At left back, Slot faces a meaningful call, with the more attack minded Milos Kerkez pushing for selection ahead of Andy Robertson. On the opposite flank, Jeremie Frimpong is edging closer to a comeback after six weeks out with a hamstring injury, but caution is likely, leaving Joe Gomez to continue at right back as Conor Bradley serves a suspension.

Availability update and match details

Federico Chiesa has recovered from illness and is available, while Wataru Endo faces weeks on the sidelines with an ankle problem. Giovanni Leoni remains a long term absentee. The stage is set for Liverpool against Brighton at Anfield, a 3pm GMT kick off on Saturday December 13, 2025, where selection, diplomacy and momentum intersect once more.

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Momentum can be fleeting in the Premier League, something Liverpool know better than most. After a confidence lifting Champions League win away at Internazionale, attention turns quickly to domestic business and a Brighton side that rarely offers comfort. For Milos Kerkez, the message is simple, results now matter, especially at Anfield.

The full back was clear about the challenge facing Arne Slot’s Liverpool, framing Saturday’s fixture as an opportunity to reassert authority at home. As he put it, “Every game in the Premier League is tough. That’s what I learned when I came here. You have to be 100 per cent focused every game because everyone can beat everyone.”

That realism reflects both Liverpool’s recent inconsistency and the demands of Slot’s first title defence. Winning the Premier League last season reset expectations, yet it also raised the weekly standard required.

Anfield edge under Arne Slot

Kerkez stressed the importance of restoring the psychological weight of Anfield, something Liverpool have historically relied upon. “We have to bring back that feeling that when you play in Anfield you cannot play easily. Hopefully everyone will be ready. It will be an important three points.”

Slot’s side arrive physically and mentally encouraged after San Siro. “But I’m sure now after the Inter game we will be ready physically, mentally and obviously we play at home,” Kerkez added. The emphasis on energy and mindset fits Slot’s preference for controlled intensity rather than emotional chaos.

Photo: IMAGO

The Brighton game also carries league significance. “I think this was really important against Inter and I think now we have to continue with Brighton. It’s going to be even more important to start to make points in the Premier League,” Kerkez said, before hinting at broader ambitions. “Hopefully in the next few months we can do something else and fight for something.”

Confidence from European nights

Kerkez returned repeatedly to confidence and cohesion, hallmarks of Liverpool at their best. Reflecting on the midweek victory, he explained, “It was really important for confidence and for the boost in the team to bring back the consistency that we need in the future games.”

Beating an unbeaten Inter side mattered. “They were unbeaten for a lot of games and [they’re] a good team and tough to play against. It’s important for confidence. Big games are coming up for us,” he said.

That belief extends internally. “The group is really, really together and we are really close to each other. We really want to turn things around,” Kerkez insisted, underlining the collective responsibility Slot often references.

Competition, defence and leadership

Rotation has been an adjustment. “It’s the first time for me that I play every three days,” Kerkez admitted, highlighting his rivalry with Andy Robertson as constructive. “We are pushing each other a lot. It’s a positive competition and I’m learning a lot from him.”

Defensive improvement has been another focus. “We talk a lot about it and [it’s] just doing the basics good to make the clean sheets,” he said, pointing to the value of protecting Alisson Becker.

Kerkez also praised leadership figures, singling out Dominik Szoboszlai. “I would say this year he’s taken it to another level,” he said, noting his influence alongside Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Robertson. In a Liverpool side balancing renewal with expectation, those voices remain central.

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Mo Salah will be in the matchday squad against Brighton after talks with Arne Slot, who has admitted that he is “definitely not enjoying this situation.”

Salah and Slot held talks at the AXA Training Centre on Friday morning and a result of their discussion was that the winger would return to the squad on Saturday.

Talks were described as “positive,” but the situation is not entirely resolved ahead of Salah’s departure for the Africa Cup of Nations this weekend.

The fallout from Salah’s explosive comments has dominated headlines and speaking to the press after Friday’s open press conference, and before his talks with Salah, Slot admitted his dislike of the current situation.

“The biggest factor is [to] do the best for the team and for the club,” Slot told reporters, including the Liverpool Echo.

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“I haven’t said this before but I can say I am definitely not enjoying this situation. It’s not like I’m happy we are in this situation by far.

“We have won the league together and he has done so much for the club. Ideally you are not in a situation like this with your player.

“I am far from enjoying it but I have to make my line-ups doing what is best for the club and for the team, in my opinion.

“That’s not to say that I do so but it is about my opinion. To tell you that I like it, no, I don’t like it and I’m not enjoying it.

“If I can, and it is also good for the team and for the club, I would definitely prefer to [avoid a circus against Brighton] because I don’t think it’s in the interests of the team and the club that we keep having.

“And I don’t think it’s a circus for me, but if it is a circus that is not helpful for anyone. So you try to avoid it as long as you can, do what is best for the team.”

Slot will keep Salah reaction to himself

As for Slot’s reaction and how he felt, he said: “If I tell you what my reaction was and what I felt, it would not help us in the current situation.

“Everything I have done until now is doing what is in the best interest of the club and the team.

“I don’t think if I tell you what I felt or blah blah that it will help us in the situation.

“I can completely understand why you ask, as it is interesting to know, but what I’ve tried to do since I’ve been here and for this whole situation is doing what is best for the team and the club in this situation, as it is already challenging enough for us without this situation.”

He then added: “I can understand that is important for you and other people to know but I don’t think that helps us that I go into detail about everything that has happened or will happen.

“I think it is in everyone’s interest, or the interest of the club, that I keep as much detail as I can to myself as these details don’t help us calm the whole situation.”

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Liverpool drift towards January with a sense of unfinished business. Injuries, form and future planning have combined to make this winter window feel heavier than most. As Anfield Watch reported, one Premier League star has now been told that Merseyside, not Barcelona, should be his next destination. That advice opens up a wider conversation about what Liverpool actually need, and what they can realistically do.

January pressure points at Anfield

Liverpool’s squad planning suddenly feels exposed. Giovanni Leoni’s injury has left the defence stretched, while Ibrahima Konate’s contract situation lingers uncomfortably in the background. Add to that a run of results where performances have dipped sharply, and January starts to resemble a repair job rather than a luxury upgrade.

Photo IMAGO

Questions stack up quickly. Is a centre back required, possibly more than one. Does the midfield need steel in a defensive role. Or is the real issue higher up the pitch, where the long term handling of Mo Salah remains unresolved and Luis Diaz was never truly replaced. Windows like this test recruitment departments because urgency rarely pairs well with value.

Why Daniel Munoz attracts attention

Daniel Munoz has become a natural talking point. Crystal Palace’s Colombian wingback has been one of the most dynamic full backs in the league, offering relentless energy and direct running. He looks built for intensity, comfortable defending wide spaces and attacking them with equal enthusiasm.

That profile explains why Barcelona have been linked, but also why doubts exist. Juan Camilo Zuniga articulated those concerns clearly when he urged Munoz to stay in England and head for Liverpool instead.

“Because of Dani’s style of play, I would put him at Liverpool,” he told Caracol Radio.

“A team with a lot of attacking and box-to-box play would be a great fit for Liverpool because Dani is very active, so he attacks the spaces a lot. So, I would keep him in the Premier League.

“Yes, I would keep him in the Premier League because the slow, methodical style doesn’t suit him. He’s more of an attacker, looking to exploit space. Barcelona gives him a lot of possession, taking the ball there, bringing it back. It’s more of a premium style.”

Squad logic versus transfer temptation

Romance aside, logic pushes back. Liverpool are well stocked at right back with Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, both capable as wingbacks. Spending heavily on another option feels indulgent when other areas are thinner. Palace, too, may have reached their limit, having already navigated serious interest in Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton.

Munoz looks every inch a Liverpool level footballer, but timing and fit matter. January windows punish sentimentality.

Credit to Anfield Watch for the original reporting.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

This report lands somewhere between excitement and scepticism for many Liverpool supporters. On one hand, Munoz feels tailor made for Premier League chaos, the kind of player you imagine flying into challenges at Goodison or surging down the flank on a European night. Fans crave energy right now, something to jolt a side that has looked flat and predictable.

But there is also concern about priorities. Right back feels like a solved problem compared to centre back depth or the growing anxiety around Salah’s future. Under Arne Slot, Liverpool are still defining their identity, and recruitment needs to reinforce that vision rather than add noise. Supporters remember too many January deals that solved nothing.

There is also fatigue around Crystal Palace links. It starts to feel repetitive, almost lazy, even when the player is genuinely good. Fans want clarity and decisiveness, not opportunism.

Ultimately, Munoz excites, but he also distracts. Liverpool need fixes, not flourishes. If January brings action, supporters want it to feel purposeful, calm and aligned with where the club is going, not simply a response to form wobbling at the wrong moment.

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