Mohamed Salah returns to Liverpool training as Reds welcome star back after AFCON

Arne Slot said last week that he was unsure whether Mohamed Salah would be available to face Marseille in the midweek Champions League clash, but the first indication has emerged

Mohamed Salah has been at the centre of a storm since criticising his situation at Liverpool in an explosive interview(Image: 2025 Getty Images)

Mohamed Salah was involved in Liverpool's open training session on Tuesday as the Reds prepared to face Marseille in the Champions League.

Liverpool travels to France for the midweek European clash and knows it could need to take maximum points to move into the automatic qualification places before next week's final round of matches in the competition's league phase.

Liverpool currently sits ninth in the table, and is outside the top eight based on goals scored alone. A win over Inter Milan last out helped the Reds' chances of earning an automatic qualification spot and bypassing the Champions League play-off stage.

Salah missed that game due to the fall out from his explosive Elland Road mixed-zone comments at the start of December, but he is expected to play some part against Marseille on Tuesday.

Salah was always due to return to Liverpool this week following the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and Arne Slot said on Friday that he was unsure whether the winger would be back for the Marseille match, or the trip to Bournemouth this weekend.

But Salah's appearance at training, along with the rest of the squad, is an indication he should be in the squad that flies to France on Tuesday.

“I am happy that he comes back,” Slot said on Friday. “Mo has been so important for this club, for me, so I am happy that he is back.

Slot insisted last week that he is delighted to have Salah available again(Image: Getty Images)

“Even if I had 15 attackers I still would have been happy if he came back, but that is not our current situation.”

However, it remains unclear whether any further punishment will be meted out to Salah following his incendiary interview at Leeds. The AFCON pause allowed everyone associated with Liverpool an opportunity to mull over the situation, and there could still be further ramifications for Salah.

The Egyptian will almost certainly be named among the substitutes in Marseille, a role Salah has not been used to during his Liverpool career.

Salah has not started a Liverpool match since November 26(Image: Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images)

In fact, it was Slot's decision to name Salah on the bench for three successive games that resulted in his post-match interview at Elland Road.

Coincidentally or not, since the 33-year-old has dropped out of the Liverpool team, it has embarked on a 12-game unbeaten run, although performances have often underwhelmed in recent weeks.

Salah last started a club match on November 26, when the Reds were beaten 4-1 by PSV Eindhoven at home.

He did, however, enjoy a positive AFCON, scoring four goals in six appearances for Egypt.