Liverpool manager Arne Slot has explained why he subbed off Mo Salah during the club’s 1-0 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena, MySportDab reports.
The former Feyenoord boss made it three wins in three UEFA Champions League matches with the Reds, thanks to Darwin Nunez’s first-half goal.
Salah had a quite night in the match and was hurled off three minutes after the hour-mark.
The Egyptian managed a few touches of the ball and was effectively marooned by a disciplined RB Leipzig defence.
However, he was able to pave the way for Liverpool’s only goal and match-winner as he provided the assist that saw Darwin Nunez find the back of the net.
It was widely thought Arne Slot subbed off the frontline Reds’ hitman due to his quiet night at the Red Bull Arena but the Dutch have now come out to debunk the report.
Speaking after the game, Slot said Salah’s substitution was just a precautionary measure to safeguard the team against injury due to the ‘tough fixture list.’
”It is a tough fixture list. Curtis Jones was the same, he hasn’t played 90 minutes yet.
”We have some injuries now so I have to take care of the players. Sunday is a big game coming up and I need to use as many players as I can for these tough months,” he said.
Salah, who has a year left on his Liverpool contract, has been an integral element in Arne Slot’s squad. He has been involved in 10 goals for the Reds, scoring 5 goals and assisting five in 8 Premier League games this term.
He has also started the club’s all three Champions League matches, and has a goal plus two assists.
The Egyptian has yet to renew his contract with the club but is expected to play a key role in the team’s charge for a domestic and European silverware this season.
