'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Liverpool legend John Aldridge has urged Jurgen Klopp to leave Mohamed Salah out of the Reds' starting lineup to face Manchester City in the Premier League.
The Merseyside-based club will face Pep Guardiola's side at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League later today. The match presents the visitors with the chance to turn a 14-point deficit into a two-point lead at the top of the table.
Similarly, Manchester City could also extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to four points with a win today. With just seven more matches left to play after today, Liverpool could struggle to claw their way back to the summit if they lose at the Etihad Stadium.
Aldridge has thus stressed the need for the Reds to avoid naming any passengers in their lineup against Manchester City today. Salah, who has scored just one goal in his last six appearances across all competitions for the side, is one such player, according to the Anfield great.
The former striker went on to suggest that Salah has perhaps had his head turned by another club amidst his contract standoff with Liverpool. He wrote in his Sunday World column:
"His [Salah's] performance against Watford was not good enough. Then he was below par again in the Champions League win against Benfica on Tuesday night. Klopp has to make sense of it all."
"Maybe he's had his head turned by another club over a big-money move this summer, or his contract dispute has got to him, but the game against City is too important to have any of those issues getting in the way. Anything less than a top-class performance will end with a City win, so Liverpool can't afford to have any passengers."
Aldridge thus feels Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz should start ahead of Salah at Manchester City today.
"That's why I believe Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz deserve to start this game ahead of Salah, but leaving out a player of that quality would be a massive gamble."
Salah has his contract with the Anfield outfit expiring at the end of next season. Liverpool are keen to tie him down to a new deal, but talks have proven to be unsuccessful so far. Many feel his poor run of form in recent matches has to do with the contract situation.
Can Liverpool superstar Salah regain form against Manchester City?
Salah has found the back of the net just once in his last four Premier League matches. Apart from his contract situation, he also suffered a major setback with Egypt last month as they lost to Senegal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on penalties.
Despite his poor run of form and off-field issues, Salah is still the top scorer in the league this season. He has scored 20 goals and provided 10 assists from 28 matches in the English top flight.
Salah impressed for the Reds in their 2-2 draw against Manchester City at Anfield earlier this season, scoring and assisting a goal each. While there are concerns about his form, the 29-year-old is capable of repeating the trick at the Etihad Stadium today.
