Mohamed Salah won't get another crack at Manchester United. The muscle injury he picked up in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace rules him out of Sunday's trip to Old Trafford — which, given his contract situation, may mean he never plays in that fixture again.
That stings a little. Salah has scored 13 league goals against United since joining in 2017 — more than any player in Premier League history against a single opponent. He's put seven past them at Old Trafford alone, also a top-flight record. The stadium has been something of a personal playground for him. Sunday's match will go on without him.
Salah's plea for Henderson
Rather than dwell on his own situation, Salah has turned his attention to a teammate who didn't get the send-off he deserved. Speaking to Steven Gerrard on TNT Sports' The Breakdown, he made a direct appeal ahead of Liverpool's final home game of the season against Brentford on May 24 — when Jordan Henderson will return to Anfield as a visiting player.
"He didn't get the send off or farewell he deserved because he left immediately," Salah said. "Without him — and I have been there in the dressing room — without him we would not have achieved what we achieved."
Henderson spent 12 years at Liverpool, captained the side through their Champions League and Premier League triumphs, and left for Saudi Arabia's Al-Ettifaq in 2023 with barely a wave goodbye. Now at Brentford, he'll walk back into Anfield as an opponent. Salah wants the crowd to make it count.
It's a classy ask. Whether Anfield delivers is another matter — Henderson's departure and what followed in Saudi Arabia complicated his standing with some supporters. But Salah, who is himself preparing for a farewell of his own at the same fixture, clearly feels the debt is owed.
Klopp, Elliott, and a potential Leipzig deal
Elsewhere, Salah's former manager Jurgen Klopp — now Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull — could find himself indirectly involved in Liverpool's summer business. Klopp admitted before leaving Anfield that his one real regret was not playing Harvey Elliott enough in his final season, despite Elliott being arguably his best player during a key January run.
Now Elliott is on loan at Aston Villa, and according to The Telegraph, Liverpool are monitoring RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande — a 19-year-old valued at around €100m (£86m). Leipzig were interested in Elliott last summer. A makeweight deal involving him is reportedly one avenue being explored.
Whether that constitutes fixing a regret or simply doing business is a matter of perspective. But if Elliott ends up at Leipzig as part of a deal that brings Diomande to Anfield, Klopp's fingerprints will be all over it in more ways than one.
Salah, meanwhile, is expected back before the season ends — just not at Old Trafford. His goodbye will come at Anfield, on his terms, against Brentford. He'd clearly like Henderson's to as well.
