Mo Salah Named in Liverpool Squad for Marseille Clash — but Regular Starter Misses Out for “Family Reasons”

Mo Salah has been named in the Liverpool squad travelling to France to face Marseille in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Salah — who features in 2026’s highest-paid Premier League XI — has not played for Liverpool since December 13, when he came off the bench in a 2-0 win over Brighton.

The 33-year-old has missed his club’s last seven fixtures due to his involvement at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. But Salah is back in Liverpool training.

His involvement at AFCON 2025 ended on Saturday when his Egypt side were beaten by Nigeria in a penalty shootout. Salah’s recent penalty-shootout record has also come under scrutiny, with the forward failing to score in each of his last three shootouts for Liverpool and Egypt.

Mo Salah back in Liverpool squad but may not start in Marseille

Although Salah is available for Liverpool again and will join his teammates in Marseille on Wednesday, there is no guarantee that the former Roma forward will start at the Stade Velodrome.

Salah was involved in a public falling out with Liverpool manager Arne Slot shortly before AFCON. Speaking after being an unused substitute in a 3-3 draw with Leeds on December 6, Salah told reporters he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club and that he no longer had a relationship with Slot.

In his only Liverpool appearance since that outburst, Salah was given a very positive reception by his home fans at Anfield. Those fans will be hoping Salah can reinvigorate a Reds attack that looked exceptionally blunt in their most recent away outing. Liverpool failed to record a shot on target for the first time in 600 Premier League games during their 0-0 draw at Arsenal on January 8.

Liverpool squad to face Marseille in Champions League

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman

Defenders: Van Dijk, Gomez, Frimpong, Kerkez, Robertson

Midfielders: Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones, Endo, Nyoni

Forwards: Salah, Wirtz, Ekitike, Gakpo, Chiesa, Ngumoha

Ibrahima Konate to miss Marseille match for “family reasons”

Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak will all miss Wednesday’s game due to long-term injuries, while Ibrahima Konate has also been ruled out.

Konate has started in all 28 of Liverpool’s Premier League and Champions League matches so far this season, but he will miss the trip to Marseille due to “family reasons”.

With Konate unavailable, Joe Gomez is expected to start alongside Virgil van Dijk in the centre of Liverpool defence against Marseille.

Liverpool have won three of their previous four Champions League matches against Marseille, who are currently third in France’s Ligue 1.