'Protect your team at all costs' - Thierry Henry insists Mohamed Salah's public outburst against Arne Slot & Liverpool was 'wrong' and 'doesn't make sense'

In the wake of his outburst, Salah was omitted from Slot's squad for the trip to Inter on Tuesday night. The Reds managed to put the drama to one side and delivered a crucial win for their under-pressure manager, claiming a 1-0 victory thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai's late penalty which was awarded after Alessandro Bastoni pulled Florian Wirtz's shirt in the penalty area. The Egyptian's absence was still a major talking point in the aftermath of the victory, with Slot indicating he needs the legendary forward to make the first move and show some contrition before he can be reintegrated into the matchday squad. Captain Virgil van Dijk struck a similar tone, indicating he will talk to Salah ahead of Saturday's clash with Brighton, which would be the last chance Liverpool fans get to see the 33-year-old in action before he leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Henry is widely regarded as one of the Premier League's greatest ever players, having won the league title twice during his time at Arsenal. He has since held managerial positions with Monaco, the Montreal Impact and France's Under-21s side and their team for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The former striker also enjoyed assistant roles with Belgium and has now entered the discourse surrounding Salah, insisting the forward should have known his position would be under threat following a series of below-par performances in comparison to his incredible showings in 2024-25.

Henry told CBS Sports: "You need to protect your team at all costs, all the time. I can understand you want to speak. I can understand the frustration. I don't [understand] the how and the when. That doesn't make sense to me. That was wrong and when people talk about relationships, the only relationship a coach wants to have with a player is for him to perform. 

"If you're not performing, then your position is in danger. It's not [your] due to have a position, especially at a club like Liverpool…It has nothing to do, again, with what he has achieved. I repeat – I love Mo Salah. I love what he has done in the game. That's a different topic. There, that's not how you go about stuff."

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Henry is the latest pundit to give his take on the controversial situation currently engulfing Salah. He was labelled a "disgrace" by Jamie Carragher in the immediate aftermath, being criticised for causing "maximum damage" with the timing of his remarks. The former Reds defender then took another pop at the former Roma star after Salah posted a selfie of himself training in Liverpool's gym alone, having been left at home as the rest of the squad jetted across Europe to Italy.

Danny Murphy also wasn't too happy with Salah's antics, insisting the claim he was "thrown under the bus" after another starting XI omission "doesn't stack up". Michael Owen was similarly unimpressed, insisting the star forward should have "bitten his lip" instead of going to the media with his complaints.

The next few days will be critical in whether Salah is brought back into the squad for the game against Brighton on Saturday. It seems Slot is keen for Salah to apologise first but he has been open to welcoming Salah back into the squad, though whether that happens before he leaves for the AFCON remains to be seen. Right now, it's unlikely that he will be gifted a starting XI place barely a week after his outburst, but a position on the bench could give the attacker the opportunity to wave goodbye - either temporarily or permanently - before he leaves for international duty.