Mohamed Salah suffered major locker room blow before Arne Slot tensions boiled over
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Mohamed Salah is away on AFCON duty with Egypt, but the Liverpool star faces a potentially tense situation when he returns following his outburst at bossesMohamed Salah lost a locker room ally before his attack on Liverpool and Arne Slot(Image: AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)Mohamed Salah could be in for a chilly welcome when he returns from the Africa Cup of Nations. This guarantees his presence in Morocco until at least 5th January, though he could be away for an additional two weeks if Egypt progresses to the final.The stage is set for an awkward reunion at Anfield, considering the inflammatory nature of his comments after the 3-3 draw at Leeds.Tsimikas, who has fallen out of favour at Roma following a difficult opening six months in Italy, would have been a valuable supporter, given The Athletic's report of how "tight" the duo were.Salah developed a strong relationship with Kostas Tsimikas before the latter had been loaned out to Roma(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)Tsimikas, who has lifted four major trophies alongside Salah, offered fresh insight into the speculation surrounding his mate's potential departure last summer when the Egyptian attracted significant interest from Saudi Arabia.His remarks hinted at the strong relationship between the two, with Tsimikas appearing to be in the know about Salah's plans."When he [Salah] said he felt he was more outside than inside the team, it was true, the chances of him staying were 10-20 percent, it wasn't more," Tsimikas told Sport 24 in June.
"If they didn't give him what he wanted, Mo wouldn't sit back, he would leave, but he wanted to stay, because he loves the team, he loves the people."He likes it here very much, his family has been here for so many years, it's a difficult step to leave. With the season he had, it was only a matter of time before they gave him what he wanted and he stayed."READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk reveals Liverpool locker room reaction to Florian Wirtz goal - 'More important'READ MORE: Ex-Liverpool player Andy Carroll due in court after being charged with breaching non-molestation orderTsimikas also revealed the depth of his friendship with Salah during the early stages of his Anfield career.
Always when I want something, he was always there for me to help me," he told reporters in December 2021. "I don't want to speak about the player — he's fantastic."As a person, he is one of the best I have met in my life.