Mohamed Salah Fit for Man City FA Cup Quarter-Final

Mohamed Salah is fit and available for Liverpool’s FA Cup last-eight clash at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on Saturday, manager Arne Slot confirmed Friday. The Egyptian forward’s clearance is a significant boost for the Reds, who face a punishing five-day stretch that also includes a Champions League last-eight first leg against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield the following Wednesday.

Liverpool’s injury picture is not entirely clean, though. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker remains sidelined, forcing Slot to deploy backup cover at one of English football’s most demanding venues.

Isak Back in Training, But Starting Role Uncertain

Alexander Isak has returned to training after a broken leg suffered before Christmas, and Slot described the 26-year-old as looking “stronger” physically after his long rehabilitation. The Norwegian’s return hands Liverpool’s attack a fresh option — a mobile center-forward who can stretch defenses in ways that complement Mohamed Salah‘s movement from the right flank.

Isak’s setback came at Tottenham Hotspur before the winter break. Prior to that point, the former Newcastle United striker had scored just two Premier League goals for the club — a modest return that left questions about his fit within Slot’s pressing system. Those questions carry added weight now: Isak must rebuild match sharpness while Liverpool chases silverware on two fronts.

Slot acknowledged Isak has made great strides in training but stopped short of guaranteeing a starting role against City, suggesting a cameo is the more likely route back. That caution is tactically sound. Throwing an underdone striker into an Etihad atmosphere against a City defensive block that has tightened under Pep Guardiola this spring would be a gamble Slot appears unwilling to take.

Mohamed Salah’s Fitness and What It Means Saturday

Mohamed Salah’s confirmed availability is the single most important piece of team news ahead of the weekend. Liverpool’s Egyptian winger has been the club’s most consistent attacking threat across the 2025-26 campaign, and his presence at the Etihad gives Slot a reliable goal threat down the right channel — precisely where City’s left flank can be caught on transitions.

Without Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s attack looks considerably thinner. With Isak still working back and Alisson absent in goal, the Reds need their Egyptian forward to shoulder creative responsibility. His ability to draw fouls, win set pieces, and convert from tight angles gives Liverpool options no other squad member replicates at his level.

Mohamed Salah’s goal contributions this season have kept Liverpool competitive in both the Premier League title race and domestic cup rounds. There is a counterargument worth considering, though. City at the Etihad, even in a transitional phase of Guardiola’s tenure, can neutralize wide forwards who drop too deep. If Salah is not at full sharpness — and Slot’s phrasing was careful, confirming fitness without specifying match readiness — Liverpool’s right side could be exposed on quick City transitions through Kevin De Bruyne’s distribution.

Liverpool’s defensive structure is measurably less secure without Alisson organizing the backline. That vulnerability matters most in a cup knockout, where a single set-piece conceded can end a team’s run.

Liverpool’s Packed Week: City, Then PSG

Liverpool face the most demanding stretch of their 2025-26 season across just five days. Saturday’s FA Cup last-eight tie at Manchester City is followed by the European last-eight first leg against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on Wednesday — a schedule that demands smart rotation and near-perfect injury management.

Slot confirmed both fixtures are live targets, framing the week as a genuine shot at an FA Cup and Champions League double. That ambition is not unreasonable on paper. Liverpool have the squad quality and tactical flexibility to compete on both fronts, but the compressed timeline leaves almost no margin for error. A hard 90 minutes at the Etihad on Saturday, followed by a midweek European night against Luis Enrique’s PSG, will test Slot’s rotation depth beyond the established first XI.

Paris Saint-Germain arrive as formidable opponents. Luis Enrique has rebuilt the Parisian club around collective pressing and positional play rather than individual brilliance, making them a more coherent unit than the galactico-era sides Liverpool faced in previous European campaigns. Liverpool’s preparation for that tie will be shaped, in part, by how much energy Mohamed Salah and the first-choice starters expend at the Etihad on Saturday.

Slot’s squad management across this week will define how far Liverpool advance in both competitions. Get the rotation wrong, and the Reds risk arriving at Anfield on Wednesday with key legs spent. Get it right, and a domestic-European double remains firmly within reach.

Key Developments Ahead of the Etihad Showdown

• Slot used the word “stronger” to describe Isak’s physical condition after rehabilitation — language that implies the recovery program went beyond simply restoring the broken leg and included broader conditioning work.
• Isak’s two Premier League goals for Liverpool both arrived in the early weeks of the campaign, before his Spurs injury, leaving him with zero league goals since entering the club’s regular rotation.
• Alisson’s continued absence means Liverpool will field a backup goalkeeper in a knockout tie where City’s delivery from set pieces — led by De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva — has been a consistent scoring source this season.
• The PSG first leg at Anfield is penciled in for Wednesday, April 8 — the opening match of a European tie that carries enormous weight in Liverpool’s continental ambitions.

Why Alisson’s Absence Matters More Than It Looks

Alisson Becker’s unavailability deserves more scrutiny than a standard injury-list mention. Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper is among the Premier League’s best at commanding his area, reading crosses, and organizing a high defensive line — all functions that become critical against a City attack that generates danger from wide areas and second-ball situations. Backup options, including Caoimhin Kelleher, have performed capably in previous cup ties, but an Etihad knockout is a different test entirely.

Slot’s backroom staff will have spent considerable time this week drilling set-piece defensive shape to compensate for the change between the posts. Whether that preparation holds up against City’s delivery — and whether Mohamed Salah‘s attacking output at the other end outweighs the defensive uncertainty — will likely settle the tie’s outcome before it reaches extra time.