Anfield captain: ‘I hope he stays – he is one of my leaders’
Player heads for Africa Cup of Nations after Brighton win
Virgil van Dijk wants Mohamed Salah to remain at Liverpool but the club captain accepts that is not guaranteed. The Egyptian was reinstated to the squad after being dropped for the Champions League trip to Inter in response to his outburst after the 3-3 draw at Leeds last weekend.
Salah was recalled by Arne Slot for Saturday’s win over Brighton, coming off the bench in the 26th minute for the injured Joe Gomez, as the coach shuffled his team. The forward marked his return to action by taking the corner from which Hugo Ekitiké scored his second goal but will now depart to represent Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, and could be away for more than a month. His absence will allow time to resolve his long-term future.
“First of all it’s not about me, it’s about the rest of the team,” Van Dijk said when asked if it was a test of his captaincy. “I speak to Mo, I speak to almost all the players, I hear and observe and that is the most important thing. If you feel that it could be a problem within the squad and it affects performances you have a different story but I think we showed this week we are absolutely united and we go forward as one.
