Salah, who will leave Anfield this summer after an illustrious nine years, was again dropped to the bench for Wednesday night’s 2-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg match and did not come on.
However, whereas the initial dropping of Salah back in December made significant headlines, this time the focus was much more on the under-fire Slot’s decision to switch to a back five against PSG - a choice that ultimately backfired during an abject display as his side were totally dominated, had only 26 per cent possession and failed to register a single shot on target at the Parc des Princes.
Slot will surely swiftly abandon that experiment at home to Fulham on Saturday as Liverpool desperately try and avoid a fourth successive defeat across all competitions and jump-start their bid for a top-five finish this season, having lost 2-1 at Brighton on their last top-flight outing before the recent international break.
With first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker still injured, Giorgi Mamardashvili will deputise again having made a series of top saves to keep Liverpool just about alive in their last-eight tie against holders PSG.
Depending on fitness, Gomez may also be preferred to Frimpong, who can operate further forward down the right flank if necessary, while Ibrahima Konate came in for more criticism on Wednesday.
Andy Robertson - whose own summer departure from Liverpool after nine years was confirmed on Thursday - is an alternative to Kerkez.
“The players I am of course worried about again for tomorrow will be Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez,” Slot said on Friday.
Salah will hope to return on the right, with Florian Wirtz on the opposite flank and Dominik Szoboszlai also in an advanced position supporting lone striker Hugo Ekitike, though Szoboszlai may have to fill in at right-back again if Frimpong and Gomez are out.
Alexander Isak made his return from injury off the bench against PSG, but was barely involved and surely lacks enough match fitness to start just yet after three-and-a-half months out with a broken leg.
Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa are other options for Liverpool in attack, while fans will want to see more chances handed to young sensation Rio Ngumoha. Fellow teenager Trey Nyoni was also sent on late in the Champions League.
