Arne Slot responds to Liverpool formation question and Mohamed Salah being benched

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has explained why Mohamed Salah has been left out vs PSG in the Champions League, without saying much about his side's expected formation

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is interviewed by TNT Sports.(Image: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

Arne Slot has refused to reveal whether Liverpool will be lining up as a back five against PSG in the Champions League, with Mohamed Salah having been dropped from the starting XI.

"I think one of the main strengths of Paris Saint-Germain is, yes, they play a 4-3-3 system but when they have the ball I see not all of them but most of them running everywhere, but not just running, they are very well organized in that running," Slot told club media. "With this line-up I can do multiple things and [you] will see how we start the game when it starts."

The Reds boss was also pressed on Salah being named among the substitutes, alongside the returning Alexander Isak.

"I think this is probably one of the first times this season that I had to make very, very, very hard decisions," Slot explained.

"Not completely the first time, but far too many times this season I hardly didn't have to make a decision because [of] injured players, players not able to play 90 so I had to mix them up with two or three players playing 45.

"Now, for the first part of the season, I have players on the bench, not completely the first time but for the first time multiple players on the bench that can impact the game.

Mohamed Salah arrives prior to the Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool at Parc des Princes on April 08, 2026 in Paris, France(Image: Stuart Franklin - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

"It's not only Mo, it's Alexander Isak, it's Andy Robertson, it's Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa, Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha and I think I forget one.

"That's a completely normal thing for a club like us and unfortunately that hasn't happened a lot this season."

It appears that Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will operate as wing-backs. Alexis Mac Allister has been brought into the center of the field in place of Curtis Jones.

A yellow card for Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones or Virgil van Dijk would mean they are suspended for next week's return fixture.

PSG midfielder Fabian Ruiz has been sidelined since January due to a knee injury and is continuing with an individual program, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes would be suspended for the second leg at Anfield if they are booked in this game.

On Isak, Slot said: "He finished close to a week of team training sessions now, so he can play a part. Otherwise, I wouldn't take him.

"I decided not to take him to the Etihad because we felt in talks with the player, medical, performance staff that he wasn't able to get a performance out of him yet. And since he's with us now, we do think that we can get a performance out of him now."