Liverpool: Slot confident Mo Salah will regain top form and suggests he is missing Trent Alexander-Arnold

Arne Slot says the “last thing” he worries about is Mohamed Salah scoring goals again and feels his recent struggles could be attributed to the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Salah and Alexander-Arnold forged a productive partnership down Liverpool’s right flank for many years before the England international left for Real Madrid at the end of last season.

Salah has looked a little lost without him, scoring just twice in eight Premier League appearances this season. The Egyptian was left out of the starting XI for the midweek Champions League game at Eintracht Frankfurt and watched on from the bench as a much-changed starting XI cruised to an impressive 5-1 win.

Brentford trip next up for Liverpool

Liverpool go to Brentford this weekend and Slot’s team selection will be the subject of much debate.

Asked for his thoughts on why Salah was struggling, Slot said: “I don’t know if it’s sharpness. In general, players miss chances. He’s a human being. We’re not used to him missing chances let alone a few games in a row, but these things happen.

“The main thing is Mo has always scored goals for our club. The last thing I worry about is Mo starting to score goals again because that’s what he has done his whole life and that’s what I expect him to do again.

“Maybe his whole Liverpool career he played with Trent, so it could [be that]. But he’s been in promising positions often enough to score goals, maybe with Trent even more. But in general, if you have quite a few changes in the summer you have to find new connections. Mo is no exception to this.”

Isak doubtful for weekend clash

Salah’s chances of playing at the Gtech Community Stadium are enhanced by the fact Alexander Isak is likely to miss out due to a groin injury that forced his withdrawal at half-time against Eintracht.

The Sweden international has yet to find his best form following his summer move from Newcastle and Liverpool’s embarrassment of riches in attack mean there is no need for Slot to take chances.

He added: ”Alexander [Isak] is not too bad. He is a question mark for the weekend so we will see where he is and that is the same with Ryan Gravenberch. Alisson Becker is also not in the squad.

“Jeremie Frimpong is not in a good place, he won’t play today, tomorrow or next week. Hamstring injuries take a while.”

The midweek success in Germany ended a run of four successive defeats in all competitions for Liverpool and Slot feels his team are being punished for every mistake they make.

“At the moment if we do one tiny thing wrong then we concede,” he said. “We have to make sure that we do things 10 out of 10 times perfect.

“Some moments have been unlucky. A period of time like this, you have to be perfect.”