Carragher Says Salah Not Automatic Starter

Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool boss Arne Slot to stop treating Mohamed Salah as an automatic starter and to consider benching him for upcoming away fixtures after the Reds’ 2-1 loss to Manchester United — Liverpool’s fourth straight defeat. Carragher and other pundits point to a sharp drop in Salah’s output — reportedly two goals and two assists in eight Premier League matches and a seven-game run without a non-penalty league goal — as grounds to manage his minutes. Carragher said Salah should still start at Anfield but not necessarily for away trips to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League and to Brentford. Manager Arne Slot has hinted he may rotate Salah as he seeks the right tactical balance while integrating expensive new signings including Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, and analysts blame a mix of tactical tweaks, personnel changes and off-field factors for Liverpool’s slump. With the team slipping down the table and under mounting pressure, the upcoming international break offers a chance to regroup before crucial fixtures.