Van Dijk comments on the exclusion of Mohamed Salah

Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, defender and captain of Liverpool, admitted that removing his Egyptian colleague Mohamed Salah from the starting lineup for two consecutive matches should serve as a reminder to the players that no one guarantees his place in the team.
Salah remained on the bench and did not participate in Sunday’s match against West Ham, which Liverpool won with two clean goals, while he was also on his team’s substitutes’ bench for the first time at Anfield, in the Sunderland match, making it the second match in a row in which he was absent from the starting lineup.
The player participated in the second half, but he struggled to provide the addition, and continued without goals in 5 matches.
Although Salah scored 250 goals in 8 seasons, since last September he has only scored two goals, and his deteriorating condition has been reflected in the team in general.
Van Dijk said in response to a question about whether Salah’s removal from the starting lineup was a message to the players’ room: “It has always been like this. You do not have an absolute guarantee. Everyone has to perform.”
He added in his statements, which were reported by the British news agency (BA Media): “Salah has always performed with the team, but this is the coach’s decision in the last two matches, and we all want the best for our club.”
He continued: “I am completely confident that Salah is still a big part of what we are trying to achieve, because he is a great player, and he has shown that continuously.”
Van Dijk said: “But we are all trying to find harmony and he needs us to be at our best, and we need him to be at our best. This is what we are all trying to achieve.”
He continued: “Salah is still a great player, and we must always remember that there is a reason for him to be so successful with the club, and we must respect that.”
Van Dijk also said: “I want him to stay with us, as one of the team leaders, and I am not worried. He is frustrated, but this is very normal. If you are not frustrated when you do not play two matches in a row basically, then there is a problem.”