Mohamed Salah has been dropped from Liverpool’s starting XI for the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes, manager Arne Slot confirmed. The call follows Liverpool’s 4-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City, a result that ended the club’s domestic cup run and left Europe as their only path to a trophy this season.
Slot turned to Jeremie Frimpong on the right side of the attack. For a manager who largely kept faith with Mohamed Salah after his return from Africa Cup of Nations duty in January, the choice ranks among the boldest of Slot’s tenure at Anfield.
Why Slot Left Mohamed Salah on the Bench
Slot’s reasoning ties directly to the 4-0 FA Cup loss at Manchester City. Liverpool were taken apart that afternoon, and the head coach opted for Frimpong’s pressing intensity over Salah’s recent output on the right flank.
Frimpong’s profile suits an away-leg game plan. He presses hard, transitions fast, and can invert into central zones. PSG’s full-backs push high, leaving space behind them. Frimpong is built to punish exactly that.
There is a real counterargument here. Mohamed Salah‘s scoring record in European knockout football is extraordinary — no Liverpool attacker matches his finishing rate in high-stakes ties. Slot is gambling that the tactical gain outweighs the loss of that threat from the start. With Salah available off the bench, Liverpool retain a significant option if the tie stays level deep into the second half in Paris.
Salah and Slot: A Complicated Dynamic
Mohamed Salah‘s relationship with Arne Slot has carried friction since the autumn. Slot benched Salah for December’s Champions League away fixture at Inter Milan — the only other confirmed instance this season of the forward being dropped for a European match. That decision came after Salah publicly said he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club during a difficult stretch of the campaign.
The Inter Milan benching read widely as a disciplinary signal. Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2024, has been methodical in building his authority. Mohamed Salah spent years as the undisputed focal point of Liverpool’s attack under Klopp. Under the Dutch coach, squad rotation and collective pressing shape carry more weight than individual standing.
Salah returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt in January and slotted back into the starting lineup regularly from that point. His reintegration looked smooth on the surface. That makes the timing of this latest benching — with the Champions League now Liverpool’s only silverware chance — striking from a squad management view.
Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool from AS Roma in the summer of 2017 for a reported fee of around £36.9 million and has scored more than 220 goals for the club across all competitions. His contract situation heading into the 2025-26 campaign has been a persistent backdrop, with the forward’s deal entering its final stages and his future at Anfield unresolved. How Slot handles Salah through this Champions League run will carry weight in those talks — for the player’s confidence and the club’s negotiating position alike.
What Frimpong’s Start Reveals About Liverpool’s Tactics
Jeremie Frimpong joined Liverpool after his standout run at Bayer Leverkusen, where he was central to their Bundesliga title-winning campaign. His selection against PSG tells you what Slot wants from this first leg: vertical pace, pressing triggers, and width to stretch PSG’s defensive structure.
PSG are the reigning European champions. Their squad carries serious depth under Qatari ownership, and players like Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi give them genuine quality across the pitch. Slot’s lineup suggests he views this away leg as a containment exercise first. Mohamed Salah, presumably, is being held in reserve to influence the second leg at Anfield, where Liverpool’s home atmosphere and the Egyptian’s bond with the Kop crowd have historically been decisive factors in European nights.
Coaches who bench star forwards in away legs of Champions League knockouts typically do so with a clear second-leg plan. Slot’s bench options, with Mohamed Salah ready to enter, give Liverpool a meaningful tactical card to play if Paris stays tight.
Key Developments
- Frimpong was placed specifically on the right side of the attack — not centrally or left — pointing to a deliberate wide-press scheme targeting PSG’s advancing full-backs.
- Liverpool’s 4-0 loss at Manchester City came in the FA Cup fifth round, ending their run in the only domestic knockout tournament still open to them.
- The December Inter Milan benching was the sole prior European fixture this season in which Slot dropped Mohamed Salah from the starting XI.
- Salah‘s “thrown under the bus” remark preceded the Inter Milan exclusion and emerged amid reported tension over his contract extension talks with the club.
- Liverpool’s potential route in the Champions League runs through the semifinals and on to the final in Munich — a target that makes every selection call in this quarterfinal consequential.
Why is Mohamed Salah not starting for Liverpool vs PSG?
Arne Slot dropped Mohamed Salah for the Champions League quarterfinal first leg at Parc des Princes after Liverpool’s 4-0 FA Cup defeat at Manchester City. Slot started Jeremie Frimpong on the right instead, prioritizing pressing intensity and wide-channel speed for the away leg. Salah remains available as a substitute option.
Has Slot benched Salah before in a European fixture?
Yes — once previously this season. Slot left Mohamed Salah out of the starting XI for Liverpool’s Champions League away match at Inter Milan in December 2025. That benching followed Salah’s public comment about being “thrown under the bus,” and was widely interpreted as a managerial statement about squad discipline and collective standards.
What is Liverpool’s only remaining trophy chance in 2025-26?
The Champions League. Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City in a 4-0 defeat, removing their last domestic cup option. The Premier League title race and League Cup had already been resolved, leaving Slot’s squad with Europe as the single remaining competition where they can win silverware this campaign.
Who is Jeremie Frimpong and what does he bring to Liverpool’s attack?
Jeremie Frimpong is a Dutch wing-back who came to Liverpool following his role in Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title run. He offers a different attacking profile from Salah — built on raw acceleration, aggressive pressing, and the ability to run in behind defensive lines. His style suits Liverpool’s transition-heavy approach for away legs in European knockout rounds.
How does Salah’s contract situation affect his Liverpool future?
Mohamed Salah’s deal at Anfield has entered its final stages, and his long-term future remains unresolved heading into the back half of the 2025-26 season. Slot’s selection decisions through this Champions League run carry added significance — a strong European finish could strengthen the club’s hand in retention talks, while further friction between manager and forward would complicate negotiations considerably.
