‘If I was Arne Slot, I’d give Mo Salah a big hug, tell him I love him, tell him I need to defend more and throw him back into the team’ Respected former Liverpool star tells FFT why the legendary Egyptian MUST be given another chance after AFCON return

Mo Salah returns to Liverpool this week after a month away at the Africa Cup of Nations, at a pivotal moment in his Anfield career.

Salah’s time with the Reds looked in real danger of being over when he gave an explosive interview to the media in early December after finding himself out of the starting line-up.

Boss Arne Slot then left the Egyptian out of the squad for a Champions League clash at Inter, before restoring him to the bench for a home game against Brighton.

Top pundit calls for Salah's return

Salah came on and assisted a goal in the Brighton game, before heading off to AFCON, where he helped Egypt to the semi finals, scoring four times.

In his absence, Liverpool have drawn their last four Premier League games, and former Reds midfielder Danny Murphy has told FourFourTwo that the Reds need Salah back in their starting line-up.

“I think if I was Arne Slot in this current predicament, I’d be giving him a big hug, telling him I love him and telling him I need him to defend a bit more, and to start winning me football matches please,” said the respected pundit and lifelong Reds fan.

“Liverpool are in need of a boost and we’ve got one of the best wide players in the world. Yes there’s been drama, yes there’s been bad blood, but he’s still contracted to Liverpool, there's still a lot to play for and with the way Liverpool are at the moment, they could do with him back to his best.”

Despite signing a new contract before the end of last season, Salah only has four goals to his name this term – he’s now 33, but Murphy is sure he can still have a huge impact on the current Liverpool side.

“There’s absolutely no doubt for me that if you can get him defending a bit more and get him helping out whoever is playing at right back a bit more, the goals will come,” the former midfielder said, speaking in association with Spreadex Sports.

“It’s not like he’s physically incapable. Yes his end product hasn’t been what it was, the numbers tell you that, but there was a lot of talk around the fact he’d not been defending – whether that was Slot allowing him to, whether that was him falling into a comfort zone, whatever it was.

“If you get him defending a bit more and back into the team, he puts fear into opposition. At times in games you watch Liverpool now and the opposition doesn't look as fearful as they once did.

“So if Arne Slot can just bite his lip, say the right things and work with him, it doesn't have to be every minute of every game, he can ease him back in, but he’s scored four goals at AFCON, he’s fit, he’s sharp, he’s ready to go and I’d be throwing him back in.”