Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah will not feature in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash against Inter Milan at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, a decision that comes amid rising tensions between the Egyptian forward and the club.

Match Overview

• Who: Inter Milan vs Liverpool
• What: UEFA Champions League, Group Stage – Matchday 6
• Where: San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy
• When: Tuesday, 20:00 GMT
• Coverage: Build-up from 17:00 GMT via Al Jazeera Sport live text commentary

Liverpool, struggling in both domestic and European competitions, are sitting ninth in the Premier League, 10 points behind leaders Arsenal. Meanwhile, Inter Milan has rebounded from a slow start in Serie A to sit second, just a point behind Napoli, making them a formidable opponent in the UCL.

Champions League Standings

• Inter Milan: 4 wins, 1 loss – 4th in Group Stage
• Liverpool: 3 wins, 2 losses – 13th in Group Stage, outside automatic qualification spots

Inter’s coach Cristian Chivu sees the game as crucial for securing direct qualification to the last-16, while Liverpool’s Arne Slot faces pressure to find solutions without Salah.

Salah’s Omission: Context and Controversy

Salah, 33, has publicly criticized Liverpool over his treatment this season, claiming he has been “thrown under the bus” and scapegoated for poor team results. He has hinted at a potential departure from Anfield.

“I think it’s very clear that someone wants me to get all the blame. The club promised me in the summer … a lot of promises and nothing so far,” Salah said after the 1-1 draw at Leeds, marking his third consecutive match on the bench.

Despite training with the team at the AXA Training Centre on Monday, Liverpool confirmed that Salah will not travel to Milan. The Egyptian forward is set to join the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt on December 15.

Last Meetings and Champions League History

• Last Meeting: March 8, 2022 – Liverpool lost 1-0 at Anfield but progressed 2-1 on aggregate in the last-16.
• Liverpool Last UCL Win: 2019, defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final.
• Inter Last UCL Win: 2010, beating Bayern Munich 2-0 to complete the treble.

Head-to-Head Record: Liverpool leads 4–2 in six all-time matches against Inter Milan.

Team News

Inter Milan:

• Henrikh Mkhitaryan returns after a month-long injury absence.
• Luis Henrique retains his right wingback position.
• Matteo Darmian, Tomas Palacios, and goalkeeper Raffaele Di Gennaro are unavailable.
• Forwards Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram start up front.

Predicted Inter Lineup (3-5-2):
Sommer; Akanji, Bisseck, Bastoni; Henrique, Zielinski, Barella, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Liverpool:

• Salah missing, leaving a question mark over the lone striker role between Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.
• Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni remain sidelined.
• Isak scored his first Premier League goal on November 30, while Ekitike scored twice against Leeds.

Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Alisson; Bradley, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Chiesa; Isak

Recent Form

• Inter Milan (last five Serie A matches): W–W–L–W–W
• Liverpool (last five Premier League matches): L–L–W–D–D

Salah’s absence adds extra pressure on Liverpool, while Inter Milan aims to capitalize at home in a must-win UCL group stage match.