Liverpool’s captain says mood in dressing room is very good and the players are “united”
Virgil van Dijk has described Mohamed Salah as “very important” to Liverpool and said he hopes the forward remains at the club after the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah returned to Liverpool’s squad in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brighton after being left out of the Champions League trip to Inter Milan earlier in the week.
The Egypt international came on as a 26th-minute substitute for the injured Joe Gomez and was greeted by a standing ovation at Anfield, later providing the corner from which Hugo Ekitike scored his and Liverpool’s second goal.
Salah’s appearance at Anfield followed a volatile few days in which he publicly criticised the club after the draw at Leeds United, saying he felt he had been “thrown under the bus” and that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had broken down.
“Mo is going to Afcon and we all hope he’ll be successful there and he’ll come back and be important for us for the rest of the season,” Van Dijk said. “The other side of it is that we all know football and we have no idea what is going to happen.
“I hope that he stays because he is one of my leaders and still very important for the football club. But there’s more parties to this situation.”
Salah will be with Egypt until at least mid-January, and that will give Liverpool and the player’s representatives time to work out his long-term future. The forward spoke with Slot on Friday and the outcome was positive enough for him to be promptly restored to matchday plans. Slot has already said he has “no reasons” to want Salah to leave Liverpool.
Van Dijk said the episode had not stirred up the dressing room and that Liverpool’s bright performances of recent – unbeaten in five league games – was evidence of unity.
“First of all it’s not about me, it’s about the rest of the team,” the Liverpool captain said. “I speak to Mo, I speak to almost all the players, I hear and observe and that is the most important thing.
“If you feel that it could be a problem within the squad and it affects performances you have a different story but I think we showed this week we are absolutely united and we go forward as one.
“There are things behind the scenes that we have to deal with but the performances speak for themselves, that we are united and that is the most important thing.”
