Liverpool manager Arne Slot has broken his silence following Mohamed Salah's dramatic claims that he has been "thrown under the bus" by someone inside the club.

The Egyptian forward, benched for three consecutive matches, also suggested that his relationship with Slot has broken down. Salah trained with Liverpool ahead of their Champions League tie against Inter, but he was left out of the traveling squad.

"The only one who can answer the question [on whether Salah is referring to Slot being the one to throw him under the bus] is Mo himself," Slot said, asked about Salah's comments.

"I can guess but I don't think that's the right thing to do at this moment in time. We let him know that he's not travelling with us, so that was the only communication that has been there from us to him.

"Of course, before Saturday, the two of us have spoken a lot, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter."

The Dutch coach added that he does not feel their relationship had broken down and was surprised by Salah's remarks.

"He has the right to feel things the way he feels things," Slot said.

He also praised Salah's professionalism in training and with teammates:."Because I think when I didn't play him anymore, usually players don't like the manager that much. But he was very respectful to my staff members, to his teammates, and he trained really hard."

Explaining the decisions

Slot also addressed why Salah had been left out of the starting lineup.

"I think we as a team struggled this season and already last season more and more with the game plans other teams had against us," he began.

"So I've tried to come up with solutions because that's my job. And we've tried many things.

"We looked very vulnerable, in my opinion, after all the things I've tried against Forest and against PSV... I decided to play with an extra midfielder in the game against West Ham, where we won the game.

"So I decided to do it one more time against Sunderland, where at halftime I brought him in. And against Leeds we faced a 5-3-2, where I've decided to play a 4-4-2 diamond..."

Salah himself expressed frustration at his reduced playing time.

"I could not believe I was sitting on the bench for 90 minutes," Salah said. "I'm very disappointed, I have done so much for this club over the years, especially last season. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. ?

"That's how I feel... I used to have a good relationship. Now we don't have any relationship and I don't know why."

The 33-year-old hinted that he may have played his last game for Liverpool, sending clubs across Europe, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. into speculation over his future.

Salah will head to the Africa Cup of Nations after Liverpool face Brighton in the Premier League.