Jamie Carragher believes Mohamed Salah will not leave Liverpool in January due to Alexander Isak’s injury depleting the Reds’ attacking options.
The Liverpool legend, 47, also reckons there is a ‘good chance’ Harvey Elliot could return from his disappointing loan at Aston Villa as Arne Slot looks to find solutions up top.
Isak was on on the receiving end of a heavy challenge by Micky van de Ven while scoring Liverpool’s opener during their 2-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday and, despite being able to limp off the field, the Swede was left with a major fracture.
And despite Salah being linked with moves to Saudi Arabia after claiming he had been ‘thrown under the bus’ by someone at Liverpool, Carragher thinks Isak’s injury means the Egyptian will not be going anywhere in the winter transfer window.
‘I think for certain now Mo Salah will be staying at the club,’ the 47-year-old said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
‘Harvey Elliott, there’s a good chance he would come back from Aston Villa on loan as well. And whether Liverpool go for a striker or another attacking player… for argument’s sake, [Antoine] Semenyo.
‘Liverpool have been heavily linked with [him] as well. I think we all know he’s got a buyout close in January. Then you’ve got wide players as in Salah and [Cody] Gakpo who’ve played a lot of games through the middle as well.’
Carragher said that if Liverpool really do want to sign Semenyo, as some reports have suggested, then his availability in the winter window would be ‘a good way around’ not having Isak.
The former England defender also shared his thoughts on van de Ven’s challenge, and explained why he has sympathy for the Spurs man.
‘There’s been a lot being made about a lot of the challenges in the game from Tottenham players and a lot of them weren’t clever,’ Carragher said.
‘I’ve actually put myself in van de Ven’s position there and that’s a challenge I’d probably make. You’ve got to try and block it. It’s just like sort of the follow-through.
‘I don’t know where else you know anybody thinks his foot’s going to go. But he has to make that challenge. He can’t let the striker just get a shot away there in that situation.
‘It’s just really bad luck for Isak. Probably one of the first glimpses we’ve seen of his real quality in the Liverpool shirt but, yeah, real big blow.’
