Mohamed Salah has been recalled to Liverpool’s squad for Saturday’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion after what have been described by several outlets as “positive” discussions with manager Arne Slot.

The situation had produced intense speculation following Salah’s claim that he no longer had a working relationship with Slot. Slot told his Friday news conference that he would discuss the evolving situation with Salah in person, with the two thrashing out whether he’d be included in Liverpool’s squad for the visit of Brighton.

Reports say the pair held constructive talks and the decision was taken to include the forward in the group for the fixture. If he does play on Saturday, it could be his final appearance in a Liverpool shirt for up to six weeks. The 33-year-old will join up with Egypt on Monday, Dec. 15, potentially missing seven games if the Pharaohs make the AFCON final.

Inclusion in the matchday squad, however, does not guarantee a start. Slot made a tactical change in midweek, opting against a traditional winger against Inter and experimenting with different attacking combinations. The reigning PFA Player of the Year was overlooked by his manager against West Ham United, Sunderland and Leeds, a sequence that contributed to last weekend’s public outburst.

Against Inter the former Feyenoord boss started Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitiké up top for just the second time this season. The pairing produced limited chemistry but did yield a positive result, and Slot may again weigh form when selecting his XI. Given Isak’s poor form, Slot could keep the Swede on the bench at the weekend and allow Ekitiké to lead the line, opening the door for Salah to return on the right.

Rewarding the Liverpool legend with a start after his recent antics might not be an outcome Slot desires. All eyes will be on the 47-year-old when he drops his XI on Saturday afternoon.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed he does not want Mohamed Salah to leave the club but has not yet decided whether the forward will be involved against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. Slot said a conversation planned for the morning would determine the immediate outcome.

“I will have a conversation with Mo this morning and the outcome determines how things will look tomorrow.

“What I need is a conversation with him and the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. There’s not much more to say about it. I will speak to him today and the outcome of that conversation determines how things will look tomorrow.”

Brighton visit is Liverpool’s final match before Salah departs for the Africa Cup of Nations, which runs into the January transfer window. With winter speculation that Salah could leave the club, it is possible he may have already played his final game for Liverpool if he is not reinstated to Slot’s squad for Saturday.

Slot said there had been extensive discussions behind the scenes and pushed back on suggestions that defensive demands lay at the heart of the issue. “I just said the next time I speak about him should be with him,” the Reds boss continued. “I think there’s been a lot of conversations between his representatives and ours, our representatives and him, between him and me after the Sunderland game.”

On the decision to omit Salah from the Inter Milan trip, Slot underlined that the club’s hierarchy were involved but left matchday selections to him. “I think we decided as a club, and I was part of that decision, not to take him to the Inter Milan game,” he continued. “I am always in contact with them, but when it comes to the decision-making of the lineup or the squad, they always leave that open to me, but that’s not to say I don’t talk to them. Mainly Richard [Hughes, sporting director], by the way, not Michael [Edwards, chief executive].

“I talk to him about so many things, but the decision to play a player or to have him in the squad, as I’ve experienced it to now—and I think this will never change—is entirely up to me.”

Slot laughed at repeated probing over the situation but made clear he wants Salah to remain. “The next time I talk about Mo should be with him,” he insisted. “I have no reasons not to want him to stay, if that’s a bit of an answer.”

“This club has won a lot, a lot, a lot of games with him, so that’s an answer to your question I think,” Slot concluded.

Mohamed Salah’s recent public complaint that the Reds have been “under the bus” has forced a swift reassessment of his standing at Liverpool. The club are reported to still want to keep the forward, but the situation has accelerated into something described internally as bewildering.

Salah rarely addresses the media, yet similar pressure was applied last season during talks that eventually produced a two-year deal thought to be worth more than £41 million ($54.8 million). His current contract has around 18 months to run and the club viewed his absence from the starting lineup as temporary.

The Athletic has reported that the perception among other clubs and agents, including some with “direct knowledge” of Liverpool, is that Salah either wants to force a transfer or is applying pressure on Slot, who is already feeling scrutiny because of poor results this season. There is an acknowledgement inside Liverpool that a continued hardline stance from Salah could render his place at the club untenable if no resolution is reached.

For now the ball is said to be in Salah’s court, though his immediate focus may turn to international duty as he prepares to join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. Jamie Carragher has pointed out that Salah is searching for his first international title.

Reports suggest Salah’s outside options are limited. Saudi clubs were keen before he committed his future to Liverpool in April, and Al Hilal or Al Ittihad are presented as more plausible Saudi destinations than Al Nassr. Al Hilal could offer a reunion with Darwin Núñez. “Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure Salah is [a target],” SPL chief executive Omar Mugharbel confirmed this week.

Major League Soccer interest has been reported, though any move there would require an available Designated Player slot. Inter Miami are thought to have plans for theirs, while Chicago Fire and San Diego FC have been mentioned as more feasible destinations. Leaving Europe would mean departing the highest competitive level of club football, a significant consideration for a 33-year-old player still in good physical condition.