Mohamed Salah’s closing chapters at Liverpool have become more tense before the final game of the season.
He started on the bench in Friday’s 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa and entered in the 74th minute, but the result damaged Liverpool’s Champions League push.
The following day, he posted a message on social media criticising the team’s style and direction, adding another public chapter to his strained relationship with Arne Slot.
That prompted Wayne Rooney to assess how the Dutchman should respond. His view was direct, with Liverpool still needing a win against Brentford to secure Champions League qualification.
Wayne Rooney says he would leave Mohamed Salah out of Liverpool squad
Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images
Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show: “If I was Arnie Slot, I’d have him nowhere near the stadium in the last game.”
The Englishman then mentioned an episode between him and Sir Alex Ferguson, as he revealed: “I had a disagreement and a fallout with Alex Ferguson. And at Alex Ferguson’s last game at Old Trafford, he left me out of the squad for that reason.
“Now, whether I thought he was wrong, he probably thinks he was right. But at the end of the day, he’s the manager.”
“He’s almost just dropped a grenade and said he doesn’t trust and believe in Arne Slot,” Rooney concluded.
Leaving Mo Salah out would deny him Anfield farewell
If Slot followed Rooney’s advice, Salah would lose the chance to say goodbye at Anfield, as he has already said he will leave in the upcoming transfer window.
That would be a major decision because the Egyptian star is one of Liverpool’s modern legends. A final home appearance would allow him to acknowledge the crowd properly.
However, the relationship with Slot now appears even more strained. Leaving him out would not be surprising in that context, but it would also carry risk.
Liverpool need to beat Brentford to secure Champions League football, and removing Salah from the squad would mean giving up one of their most decisive attacking options.
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