Arne Slot confirms Mohamed Salah will miss the Liverpool clash at Brighton

The forward was forced off during the second half of Liverpool's UEFA Champions League win over Galatasaray at Anfield, raising immediate concerns over his availability.

Speaking ahead of the weekend fixture, Slot admitted the situation was clear-cut. "It's unusual, and because of that you can expect the outcome," he said. "He's not available for tomorrow."

The Liverpool manager offered cautious optimism over Salah's recovery timeline, pointing to the upcoming international break as a key factor. "The good thing for us is that we now have the international break," Slot explained. "The bad thing for Egypt is that he can't go there.

"We know from the past that Mo takes very good care of his body. He often recovers quicker than others in similar situations. We hope he can be back when we return, but it's a short turnaround, so we will see."

There was also uncertainty surrounding Joe Gomez, who was named on the bench against Galatasaray but did not feature.

Slot revealed the defender had raised concerns before kick-off. "Joe told me he didn't feel good before the game," he said. "We tried to delay any decision and hoped we might need him later, but he wasn't ready."

Gomez could still play a role against Brighton, although not from the start. "He might be available, but definitely not to start," Slot added.

Liverpool now head into a tricky away fixture without one of their most influential players, placing added pressure on the rest of the squad to step up in Salah's absence.