The Egyptian star is having a stellar season for Liverpool. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
There is a possibility that Mohamed Salah could be rested for Liverpool’s second leg tie against SL Benfica in the UEFA Champions League. The Reds are currently 3-1 ahead on aggregate against their Portuguese opponents.
If Klopp decides to rest Salah, Luis Diaz could be named in the starting XI. However, if the Egyptian skipper does get the nod in the team, one can expect him to feature on the right wing.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are at a point in the season where each and every game is important as they continue to chase the quadruple. They only recently played a 2-2 draw against Premier League title rivals Manchester City and are scheduled to face them again on Saturday in the FA Cup semifinals.
Speaking to the press ahead of their game against Benfica, Klopp revealed that there could be some rotation for the second leg of the Champions League. The German tactician was quoted as saying (via This is Anfield):
“The next game has no influence on the lineup for tomorrow night, but the last game has. We have to see, a really super-intense schedule. No one injured as far as I know, in this moment but we need to have a look at who is fresh enough for this game.”
Salah is currently a player who needs some rest as the season enters its business end. He has recently struggled to have a positive impact on proceedings at Anfield.
The 29-year-old has gone three league games without a goal. However, he did provide the assist for Sadio Mane’s goal against Manchester City.
There has also been a lot of talk surrounding Salah’s contract situation at Liverpool. As things stand, the winger has less than 18 months remaining on his contract, with no advancements being made in negotiations.
The Reds are considered favorites to make it through to the semifinals of the Champions League following their 3-1 win in the first leg. It is worth noting that the winner of this tie will face Villarreal in the semifinals.
Unai Emery’s side caused a major upset by knocking out German giants Bayern Munich.
Mohamed Salah remains Liverpool’s leading goalscorer this season
Mohamed Salah has had a stellar 2021-22 season so far. He is Liverpool’s leading goalscorer this season, having scored 28 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions. He has also contributed 11 assists.
It is also worth noting that Salah is currently leading the Premier League’s Golden Boot race.
The former Chelsea and FC Basel star has netted 20 times in the league and is three goals ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-Min.
