Egypt will hold their initial training camp this Wednesday, with a friendly match against Nigeria set for December 10th.

However, since AFCON doesn't start until December 21st, Slot stresses Salah won't depart Merseyside until less than a week before the tournament begins.

Ahead of tomorrow’s game against Sunderland at Anfield, Slot was first asked about his star forward’s feelings after benching him during the win at West Ham on Sunday.

He commented: "It’s a fair assumption and a normal reaction (being upset) for a player who can contribute to us.

"Naturally, a player isn’t happy when not playing; he wasn’t the only one, I can assure you.

"His behavior was exactly what you’d expect from the professional he is — very supportive to his teammates and handled it very well.

"You can’t perform at your best every three days if you let emotions take over, but Mo is extremely disciplined. He’s been a top professional, just like in recent days."

When asked about Salah’s expected departure to join Egypt’s squad, Slot replied: "He will leave on December 15.

"Our approach involves communication among all three parties — the player, club, and country. That’s standard. FIFA has set December 15th as the final release date for players."

Regarding resting Salah from the frontline, Slot also said: "Luckily, during my time here, he has been almost superhuman, but all players have moments when they are only human.

"He has scored many goals for us, and I’m confident he will continue to do so."

Rotations

Meanwhile, when questioned about rotating his starting eleven before facing Sunderland, Slot admitted his choices will depend on the fitness of those who played at West Ham.

He added: "I haven’t thought too much about it yet since yesterday was recovery day, and we train today, so we’ll see how the players feel.

"Florian (Wirtz) missed about one and a half to two weeks of training. For him to play that many minutes was already positive. It was encouraging to see him perform so well, though it’s not the first time for us — maybe the first time many noticed.

"Also positive for Alex (Isak) to score his first goal, although he couldn’t play an extra five or ten minutes as he started feeling some cramp. He’s another player we need to monitor."

Impressive Sunderland

Slot expects a tough Sunderland side, who come to Anfield after a win over Bournemouth.

Sunderland currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, two spots above reigning champions Liverpool.

Slot said: "Credit to their manager (Regis Le Bris) for bringing in many quality players.

"I watched the Chelsea vs Arsenal game on my way home — two teams working hard and fighting. Then I realized Sunderland had beaten Chelsea away and drawn with Arsenal.

"You can tell from the league standings they’re performing well, but those two results confirm it.

"They show resilience, a strong mentality, and their style involves high pressing and taking risks without the ball — a fast-paced game where players work extremely hard to get results.

"They are a very hardworking team with a clear identity."

He further added: "Sunderland either press very high or defend deeply with all 11 players. That’s why they’re tough opponents.

"It’s crucial to start games well, even if we don’t score immediately. We need to improve on that compared to recent matches because, aside from West Ham, we’ve conceded goals."

Social media abuse

Before finishing, Slot was asked about a report naming him the most abused manager on social media in the Premier League.

The Dutch coach, however, brushed it off: "Maybe I expected even more after the Forest game!

"Abuse is never acceptable. I’m not very active on social media, but I’m aware of it. When you start losing, you know fans aren’t pleased.

"What I do notice is the support from fans in the stadium. Even at 0-0 (against West Ham), the fans were singing for the team and for me."