The Salah Saga continues as he was left off the 19-man travelling squad for Liverpool's Champions League match at Inter Milan tomorrow, December 9th. This will be the fourth straight game in all competitions that Slah has not made the Starting XI, the latest sign that the Egyptian King's reign on Merseyside may be coming to a close. Even so, the Reds will have to put that distraction behind them to get a result in what is shaping up to be a tough match.
Match Details
Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
• Time: 20:00 GMT
• Venue: San Siro Stadium, Milan
• TV Channel: Amazon Prime Video
What's At Stake?
Both teams are coming off losses in the competition, but Inter is in much better shape on the table at 4th, while the Reds are 13th. Liverpool needs at least a draw if they want to show the football world that the club is still among Europe's best. A defeat would send the club tumbling down the table, and the noise and the narrative about a club in crisis would only worsen. Another bad loss could lead to Slot's sacking in the near future. The decision to deepen the rift with Salah is an interesting one under those circumstances, for sure.
Team News
A Sky Sports report revealed that Salah was “removed from selection for a short period due to the nature and timing of the player's public comments.” The report also states that this is not a disciplinary action and that he could be available for selection for the EPL clash with Brighton.
Here are the 19 players who will be making the trip to Milan:
Alisson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Isak, Mac Allister, Bradley, Jones, Ekitike, Mamardashvili, Robertson, Woodman, Gravenberch, Nyoni, Ngumoha, Lucky.
How We Got Here
Just what did Salah say that caused him to be left off the travelling squad?
“(I can't believe) that I'm sitting on the bench for 90 minutes! The third time on the bench, I think, for the first time in my career. I'm very, very disappointed, to be fair. 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.”
Arne Slot is scheduled to give a pre-match press conference at 16:45 GMT, and LFC Globe will provide further updates at that time.
Predicted XI
Liverpool (4-2-3-1)
GK – Alisson Becker
RB – Conor Bradley
CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)
CB – Joe Gomez
LB – Andy Robertson
CM – Dominik Szoboszlai
CM – Alexis Mac Allister
CM – Curtis Jones
RW – Florian Wirtz
CF – Alexander Isak
LW – Hugo Ekitiké
This is a solid lineup under the circumstances. The pairing of Isak and Ekitiké could be lethal, or it could flop. It's worth the gamble because there are really no other strong candidates on the bench. Ibrahima Konate has been struggling of late, so the trio of van Dijk, Bradley, Gomez and Robertson in the back will bring stability to a defence that has been letting in tons of goals. Domonik Szoboszlai also has the ability to track back in defence when needed. This is a barebones squad with no Salah, Gakpo or Chiesa, but it is certainly one can be competitive
Key To The Match
How will the defence hold up vs. the Inter attack? In the last two matches, they have outscored opponents 9-1. Lautaro Martínez leads the way with 11 goals in all competitions, so he will be the main focus of van Dijk and the heart of the Liverpool defence.
Prediction
Liverpool will somehow escape San Siro with a 2-2 draw. Why? The club always seems to have a positive response when its back is against the wall. The Real Madrid match is a perfect example. Liverpool also seems to play to the level of their competition. (Poorly against Leeds but better against teams at the top of the table). It will be tough, but I think we will get a point.