Liverpool manager Arne Slot joked that Mohamed Salah maybe knows something that he does not about Manchester City's 115 charges following the attacker's claim that he may have faced the Premier League champions at home for the last time.
The 32-year-old was speaking to Sky Sports after providing a goal and assist in Sunday's 2-0 win over Pep Guardiola's side at Anfield, which took Liverpool 11 points clear of the faltering holders in the table.
It is an open secret that Salah is out of contract at the end of the season, and the former Chelsea and Roma man has not shied away from putting pressure on the board with some eye-catching comments to the media.
After claiming two weekends ago that he was "more out than in" of the club, Salah admitted that he was going about Sunday's game with Man City as if it would be the last time he faced the Citizens at Anfield.
Slot was inevitably quizzed on Salah's comments in Tuesday's pre-Newcastle United press conference, and the Dutchman issued a very light-hearted response, frivolously suggesting that the attacker was expecting City to be relegated if their alleged breaches of financial rules are proven.
Slot: 'Salah 115 claim was a joke!'
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Asked about Salah's last game claim against Man City, Slot replied: "Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 inquisitions so he expects them not to be in the Premier League next season!".
Man City were charged with 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules in February 2023, the hearing for which began in September, but the champions vehemently deny any wrongdoing.
After several laughs, Slot emphasised that he was only making an unserious, throwaway comment with his 115 claim and insisted that there was still nothing significant to add over Salah's contract situation.
"I do expect them in the Premier League," Slot added. "The boring answer is always the same. This is not the place for me to talk about Mo's contract and maybe I've said already too with the joke I've just made. That will probably get the headlines, but it was a joke, I repeat a joke!"
Reports earlier this week suggested that Salah would be open to penning a new one-year contract with Liverpool, but he is growing 'exasperated' at a lack of action from the Reds hierarchy in negotiations.
Could any injured Liverpool players return against Newcastle?
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Salah will be expected to reprise his role in the first XI for Wednesday's trip to St James' Park to face Newcastle, where Slot is likely to be working with an identical squad from the victory over the champions.
Alisson Becker, Federico Chiesa, Kostas Tsimikas, Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate and Diogo Jota are all working their way back from injuries, but Slot is confident that Alisson will be back in between the sticks before the end of the calendar year.
"We are just waiting for the moment that Alisson is completely fit because Caoimh [Caoimhin Kelleher] is doing too well to put Alisson in goal if he is only on 50 per cent [fitness] and that would not be good for Alisson and not be good for the team," Slot added.
"He's getting there. It might take a few more extra days but he's getting closer and closer and like I've always said the end phase of rehab is always the period where you feel like, 'OK, is he really there or does he need a few extra days?' But he will be in goal before the end of December if things continue like they are."
Liverpool hold a nine-point lead over Arsenal and Chelsea at the summit of the top-flight table, and every team with at least a six-point advantage after 13 games since 1992 has gone on to win the title.
Ben Knapton
