‘I can’t believe it’ - Mohamed Salah says he’s been ‘thrown under the bus’ in explosive Liverpool interview after being benched by Arne Slot for third straight match

Looking to find a way to resurrect Liverpool’s form in what has been a torrid 2025-26 season so far, head coach Slot has named Salah among the substitutes in the last three league fixtures against West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds.

However, while the Merseysiders recorded a 1-0 victory over the Hammers on 30 November, they have been unable to kick on since then, requiring an own goal from Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele to earn a point against Sunderland, before twice throwing away the lead to draw with Leeds.

Scoring his first two Premier League goals since September's 2-1 victory over Everton, striker Hugo Ekitike netted a second-half brace which put Liverpool in front at Leeds. However, Slot's side were then pegged back by a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty and a strike from midfielder Anton Stach.

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai soon restored his side's lead with a controlled finish after 80 minutes, only for Leeds' Ao Tanaka to rescue a last-gasp point in the sixth minute of injury time.

In a campaign which has seen several Liverpool players drop below the lofty standards they set in last season’s title-winning campaign, Salah has particularly suffered a sharp decline in form.

Unable to consistently replicate the sparkling performances which saw him score 29 goals and record 18 assists in the top flight last season, the former Chelsea and Roma winger has also received criticism for failing to address supporters during Liverpool’s struggles this season.

Speaking in his capacity as a Sky Sports pundit, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher - who made 737 appearances for the club, winning nine major trophies - said in November: “I think Virgil van Dijk, after the game, has come out again and spoke, as he should do as a captain, he's called Liverpool a mess. I must say, on the back of all these Liverpool defeats, it's always Virgil van Dijk who comes out. And as I said, the captain should do that, but there should be other players in that dressing room coming out and speaking for the club. 

“A year ago this weekend, Mo Salah wasn't shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract. I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match, or he needs a new contract. 

“I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, as one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn't always be the captain. But, obviously, the manager is the one in the firing line. Any manager with results like that, as you said, if they were part of the bottom four or a promoted team, they would be under pressure.

“So there's no doubt the manager is under pressure now with results like that, on the back of being champions, but also on the fact of what Liverpool spent in the summer.”

After months of speculation over his future, Salah signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April. His previous deal had been due to expire at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

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However, in an incendiary interview following Liverpool’s disappointing draw with Leeds, Salah has revealed he intends to say farewell to the club’s fanbase during next Saturday’s home game against Brighton, with the 33-year-old unsure if he has a future at the club. 

Following the match against Fabian Hurzeler’s side, Salah will head to Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations camp ahead of the tournament starting on Sunday, 21 December in Morocco.

In quotes carried by The Times, he said: “I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season.

“Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

“I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club.

“This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always do. I called my mum yesterday — you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew.

“Yesterday I said to [my parents], ‘Come to the Brighton game.’ I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it. In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now. I will be at Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go the Africa Cup. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”

While Salah said he “did not want to answer this question” about whether he could move to the Saudi Pro League in the January transfer window, he continued his explosive remarks by saying he expects Carragher to “go for me again” during Sky Sports' coverage of Manchester United’s trip to Wolves on Monday evening.

“After what I have done for the club it really hurts,” Salah continued. “You can imagine, really. After going from home to the club and you don’t know if you are starting. 

“I know the club too well, I have been here many years. Tomorrow Carragher is going to go for me again and again and that’s fine.

"Can I give an example? It’s silly but I am sorry. I remember a while go, Harry Kane was not scoring for ten games [at Tottenham], everyone in the media was like, ‘Oh, Harry will score for sure, when it comes to Mo everyone is like ‘he needs to be on the bench’. I am sorry Harry!"

It remains to be seen how Liverpool boss Slot will respond to Salah’s comments as his side prepare to lock horns with Serie A giants Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Having moved to Anfield from Italian side Roma in 2017, Salah has become one of the greatest Liverpool players of all time. He is currently third on the club’s all-time top goalscorers list, only behind legendary forwards Ian Rush and Roger Hunt, after netting 250 goals in 420 appearances for the 20-time champions.

Salah has lifted seven major honours in another golden period in Liverpool’s illustrious history, including two Premier League titles in 2019-20 and 2024-25. He also helped the club win their sixth Champions League crown in 2018-19 under Jurgen Klopp's stewardship.