Mohamed Salah misses United's match... Slot confirms that his injury is minor

Liverpool coach Arne Slot confirmed that Egyptian star Mohamed Salah will be absent from the upcoming clash against traditional rivals Manchester United next Sunday at Old  Trafford, due to a minor hamstring injury he suffered during their last match against Crystal Palace last week.

The announcement came during Slott's press conference on Friday morning, ending Reds fans' hopes  of seeing their star last against the traditional rival before he leaves the club at the end of the current season.

The Dutch coach also clarified that Salah's  injury, 33, was not as serious as some had feared, describing it as a "minor injury", but it will keep him out of Sunday's decisive game.

"As we know about Mohammed, he always works hard when he is fit, and when he is injured, to come back as soon as possible, and we expect him to return for the latter part of the season, but he will not be ready for Sunday's game," Slot said in the press conference.

The Dutch coach expressed his relief that the injury was minor, adding: "It is a great relief - by all accounts - that his injury is minor, to be able to play with us and his country in the World Cup. If there's a player who deserves a big farewell, it's Mohammed."

The ranking of the two teams.  A five-way struggle for European seats

The two teams enter the match at a critical juncture in a fierce battle for the places to qualify for next season's Champions League, with Manchester City and Arsenal leading the race by a wide margin, while United and Liverpool battle Aston Villa for the remaining two Champions League tickets.

Manchester United are in third place with 61 points, while Liverpool are in fourth place with 58 points, in a head-to-head match that could significantly decide the identity of the Champions League qualifiers, especially with the number of guaranteed seats reduced to just four this season.

Salah's numbers against United. The unforgettable "nightmare"

Salah's absence from the Manchester United match represents a major technical loss for Liverpool, given his historic numbers against the  Red Devils, as the Egyptian star played  18 games against United throughout his career, he managed to score 16 goals, becoming the historical scorer of this fiery encounter, ahead of legends such as Steven Gerrard and George Wall.

Salah also contributed to Liverpool's historic  7-0  victory at Anfield in March 2023, scoring two goals and assisting another in one of the club's toughest defeats in Premier League history.

It is noteworthy that Salah announced in late March that he would leave Liverpool at the end of the current season, a year before the previously agreed date, to be his ninth and last season at Anfield, and his contract with the Reds will conclude with Brentford at Anfield on May 24.