Liverpool early transfer signs do not look promising after surprise Mohamed Salah decision

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.

Liverpool Echo IconSportFootballLiverpool FCIan Doyle with the main talking point after Liverpool's Champions League clash at Galatasaray on Tuesday eveningIan Doyle has covered Liverpool for more than 20 years, following them across Europe in multiple Champions League and Europa League finals and as far afield as Thailand, Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong and Qatar, and has reported on the Reds winning every major honour. He previously also covered Everton for 18 years and followed England, reporting on the European Championships and World Cup final.

Once had to tell Jude Law he does not drive a Mini.The prevalence of rotation in modern football begs the question whether a player is ever truly dropped. But that Mohamed Salah has been a perennial in the Liverpool starting line-up that his benching at Galatasaray prompted the raising of more than a few eyebrows.There could be few grumbles given his poor display at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

And while his numbers remain impressive – three goals and three assists in eight games going into this one – Salah’s overall level of performance has rarely hit the usual heights.There are myriad reasons for that, not least having to adapt to so many new players being around him in attack and down the right flank.READ MORE: Liverpool suffer double injury blow in 12 minutes as two stars forced off against GalatasarayThis was only the seventh Champions League game Salah had failed to start since arriving at Liverpool more than eight years ago, the majority of which were effective dead rubbers.Indeed, the most recent saw him come off the bench and within 13 minutes net a hat-trick in the 7-1 win at Rangers in October 2022.The Reds will have to become accustomed to Salah’s absence with the Egyptian departing for Africa Cup of Nations duty at Christmas that could see him miss up to 10 games.Jeremie Frimpong had been purchased in the summer partly with that in mind, and it was the Dutchman who began on the right flank in Turkey with Dominik Szoboszlai behind him.The early signs, then, aren’t particularly encouraging. Frimpong saw a fair amount of the ball during the first half and while his pace got him into some good positions, too often the delivery was not of sufficient quality or just didn’t materialise at all.There was better shortly after the interval with a run to the byline that set up a chance Hugo Ekitike flicked against the legs of Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, but it was only a matter of time when Frimpong was hooked for Salah shortly after the hour mark.But there were to be no Champions League heroics from the bench this time from the Egyptian as Liverpool, after so much late drama this season, rarely looked like fashioning an equaliser as the clock ticked down.And few would be surprised if Salah find himself back on the right flank on the return to former club Chelsea on Saturday evening.