Slot hints he’ll bench Mo Salah vs Sunderland after West Ham win

Arne Slot hinted he may keep Mo Salah on the bench for when Liverpool face Sunderland next week.

The Merseysiders will take on Regis Le Bris’ in-form Black Cats in the Premier League next Wednesday.

The Reds will be hoping to secure back-to-back wins in the English top-flight for the first time since September (after beating Burnley and Everton).

Mo Salah could be benched against Sunderland

Speaking after Liverpool returned to winning ways against Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham, Arne Slot hinted that Salah may not instantly return to the starting-XI.

“We play a lot of games. In 10 days we played four. These players are such quality players,” the 47-year-old told BBC MOTD (via BBC Sport).

“Mo has been so important for the club and will be so important for the club so let’s see what happens on Wednesday [against Sunderland].”

That might seem a bit of a shocking potential call after having already dropped the Egyptian to the bench for the 2-0 win over the Hammers.

But ultimately, it’s worth noting that the number 11’s absence didn’t ultimately harm our ability to win the clash in question.

Players like Florian Wirtz managed to find space, and the team ultimately created more than enough chances to justify the end result.

* Liverpool’s stats against West Ham in the Premier League (Fotmob)

Arne Slot could make rare Liverpool selection call

Not seeing Mo Salah’s name on the teamsheet across consecutive competitive games is practically unheard of.

The last time the former Roma winger didn’t start two back-to-back Premier League games was back in the 2023/24 season. But that wasn’t a bold call from then-manager Jurgen Klopp; the 33-year-old was sidelined with a muscle injury!

To be clear, we don’t think the key to Liverpool’s victory at the London Stadium was down to dropping our talismanic right winger.

We wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to seeing Salah restored to the starting lineup come Sunderland’s visit.

However, in what has been a mostly disappointing 2025/26 campaign, with question marks over Slot’s future, we’re open to some bold calls to remind the squad that they’re playing for the Dutchman.

Selection calls don’t get much bolder than dropping the modern-day Liverpool great!

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