James Carragher has revealed his “one slight worry” over Mohamed Salah amid the Liverpool star’s slow start to the season.
Salah has just three goals and three assists in ten games for the Reds this term after getting 34 goals and 23 assists in Arne Slot’s first season in charge to drive Liverpool to the Premier League title.
Concerns have been raised over the Egyptian’s lack of defensive work in recent week, which has never previously been pointed out as a problem as a result of the extraordinary threat he offers in the other direction.
Slot said ahead of their clash with Manchester United on Sunday that he doesn’t expect Salah in particular to provide more protection for the ailing right-backs, instead suggesting it’s on Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai to do more to cover from their attacking midfield roles.
READ MORE: Slot’s Salah denial makes one Man Utd star the key to victory over Liverpool
And Carragher agrees that Salah shouldn’t be asked to change, but did admit he “needs to do more in terms of output” and picked out a “slight worry” with regard to the 33-year-old’s poor form at the start of the season.
“I don’t think you’ve been asked to do anything differently,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “He will be missing Trent Alexander Arnold – who wouldn’t? That partnership wasn’t just last season that was built up over five or six seasons.
“Liverpool have used four right backs this season, so that that doesn’t help. You go back to actually to the Carabao Cup final, when Salah had a really poor game against Newcastle, I think was Jarell Quansah who playing right back that game.
MORE LIVERPOOL COVERAGE ON F365
👉 Liverpool vs Man Utd: Five pre-match predictions from Rooney, Keane, Redknapp et al.
👉 Shearer snubs Isak, Wirtz in bold Liverpool vs Man Utd combined XI; surprise Red Devils star included
👉 New Liverpool star could already ‘ask to leave’ in 2026 amid ‘significant factor’; escape route revealed
“So it just shows that no matter how big an individual is or how great the player is, they need help from the teammate, there’s no doubt about that.
“But I think right now, as well, Salah needs to do more in terms of output. There’s there’s no doubt about that. The one slight worry I have with Salah is, we’ve seen this before, where he goes five six games, doesn’t look at his best, and then he’ll score a couple of goals – fingers crossed that happens today.
“But normally, that’s towards the end of the season. He normally comes flying off the blocks, especially when he’s had the summer off. And I was expecting that this season, especially on the back of Liverpool signing Isak, Wirtz and them grabbing the headlines.”
There’s nothing like a game against Manchester United to break Salah out of a funk, and he will be hoping to add to his tally of 16 goals in 17 games against the Red Devils on Sunday.
