Arne Slot will welcome Mo Salah back to his squad next week with the Liverpool head coach suggesting there has been closure to the Egyptian’s public row.When is Mohamed Salah back for Liverpool? Return set after AFCONReturn timeline: Mohamed Salah will rejoin the Liverpool squad next week following Egypt’s AFCON third-place play-off against Nigeria on Saturday. He is a potential option for Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Marseille.Relationship with Slot: Arne Slot suggests their recent public row has reached closure, stating he is “happy that he’s back.”AFCON workload: Salah has played 480 minutes across five matches in the tournament (four goals, one assist). Liverpool’s medical staff will assess his fitness levels before he returns to the starting XI.Salah can return to selection for Liverpool following Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations third-place decider between Egypt and Nigeria.It means the 33-year-old could be available for the trip to Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday night, though speaking in his pre-Burnley press conference, Slot revealed that was yet to be decided. “We’re in talks with him, what is expected of him over there, what we expect over here,” Slot told reporters.“But first of all he needs to have an important game on Saturday and next week he’ll be back with us.“That’s something we are talking about together now, yeah.”The likelihood is that Salah will rejoin the squad as soon as possible, though Liverpool’s medical staff will consider his workload while at AFCON.He has so far played 480 minutes from a possible 570, with Slot no doubt thankful that Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan saw fit to rest his captain in the final game of Group B against Angola.There are other matters to consider, too, with Salah departing Liverpool last month after a spell out of the side – and then squad – while criticising Slot and the club for his recent treatment.Mohamed Salah: AFCON 2025/26 PerformanceFixtureMinutesG / Avs. Zimbabwe (Group)90′1 / 0vs. South Africa (Group)90′1 / 0vs. Angola (Group)0′0 / 0vs. Benin (R16)120′1 / 0vs. Ivory Coast (QF)90′1 / 1vs. Senegal (SF)90′0 / 0TOTALS480′4 / 1* Data via Transfermarkt as of Jan 16, 2026. Egypt face Nigeria in the third-place decider on Jan 17.But there is a sense that the situation is resolved, at least until the end of the season, with Slot “happy that he’s back.”“First of all he needs to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday,” he reemphasised.“And then he comes back to us and I’m happy that he comes back.“Similar to Andy [Robertson], Mo has been so important for this club, for me, so I’m happy that he’s back.“Even if I had 15 attackers I still would have been happy that he comes back, but that’s not our current situation.“Happy to have him back, after an important game that he still has to play.”Asked if he had been in contact with Salah after Egypt’s defeat to Senegal in the AFCON semi-finals, he replied: “I think what happens between Mo and me, on our phone or over here, stays between the two of us.“I don’t think it’s necessary for me to share all the private conversations we have, either on the phone or here with any of our players.”