You know, if Mohamed Salah was in command, he would be among the starters in every Europa League group game for Liverpool this season. The Egyptian is by no means a selfish player, but he does not miss an opportunity to cement his legacy by adding to an already ridiculous goal tally.a
And if there’s one big twist to Liverpool’s descent into Europe’s second-tier competition for a player of this quality, it’s certainly that scoring opportunities are much easier than in the Champions League.
Of course, the crucial thing here is that the manager actually picks the team, and it is not yet clear what direction Jürgen Klopp intends to take in the Europa League this season.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Saturday, September 2, 2023: Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring the third goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield.
Finishing at the top of the group in second place has the advantage of avoiding two extra games in the knockout stages, so it would make sense to try and secure that place as soon as possible.
However, this is probably the strongest squad Klopp has ever fielded at Liverpool and so, unlike the club’s previous Europa League games, heavy rotation does not appear to threaten this result.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the manager is desperate to capitalize on the wealth available to him throughout the campaign, and that this race is a great opportunity to do so.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND –
Saturday 2 September 2023: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the pre-match warm-up before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield.
Harvey Elliott is a great example of a winger who has earned a starting spot this season, but with so many other midfielders also needing a break, he could actually be a candidate to replace Salah. against LASK?
And if fresh legs are needed late in the evening in Austria, wouldn’t it be better to start the talented Ben Doak instead of Liverpool’s experienced 11?
Salah is unlikely to be left out of these games due to his aforementioned love of playing and scoring goals.
However, there is one key factor that could hinder his desire to feature every minute of every game, regardless of the competition: namely, the fact that the Africa Cup of Nations takes place in January.
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the FA Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Liverpool FC at Molineux Stadium.
You only have to look at the last campaign in which this continental tournament took place – 2021-22 – to see the value of rescuing Salah from himself at such an early stage. He went to Cameroon this year after starting the season with 23 goals in 26 games at 0.88 per game for Liverpool.
However, after returning for Sadio Mane’s heartbreaking defeat to Senegal in the final, the winger managed just eight goals (0.32 per game) in his remaining 25 games.
If fatigue wasn’t clearly evident at the time, you wonder if the Reds’ star man would have ended up taking them to the quadruple rather than “just” the FA Cup and League Cup.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND –
Saturday 2 September 2023: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hugs Mohamed Salah after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 3-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
And the importance of guarding against such attrition has certainly only increased with Salah now two years older and with many more miles under his belt.
But if Liverpool are to achieve their goals this season, a difficult conversation with Salah about his role in the Europa League could prove to be one of the defining moments.
