Mohamed Salah on standby for Liverpool first after Jurgen Klopp decision

Jurgen Klopp's decision to include Mohamed Salah in Liverpool's leadership group could see him wear the armband for the first time in the Premier League.

Salah, 32, has proven himself as one of the best players to ever grace the Merseysiders' shirt. He has never been a standout captaincy candidate with more natural fits in the squad, but former boss Klopp did bring the ex-Chelsea into their leadership group in the summer of 2023.

After former captain Jordan Henderson and frequent substitute James Milner left, Salah was elevated to the small group of players that includes Andrew Robertson, Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The latter pair were chosen as captain and vice-captain respectively.

Salah wears the armband from the start of matches in the Europa League and League Cup, but never in the Premier League. This could be about to change when Arne Slot's side travel to Southampton next Sunday.

Robertson, the current third-choice captain, has captained the Reds from the start six times previously, while Alisson has worn the armband as fourth-choice three times. When all five members of the leadership group are absent from the starting XI, the Reds' longest-serving player is appointed captain.

Van Dijk has been a constant presence in Liverpool's lineup in the Premier League and Champions League this season, with the armband only passing on temporarily during the League Cup. Joe Gomez took on the role for the third round win over West Ham, as the club's longest serving player, while Robertson was captain for the fourth round match at Brighton.

However, after Van Dijk withdrew from the Dutch squad due to 'medical reasons', it is uncertain whether he will be fit for the upcoming match against Southampton. Liverpool have announced that they will assess Van Dijk's condition at the AXA Training Center this week and if he is unable to start for St Mary's, a replacement will have to be brought in.

Alexander-Arnold is also a potential doubt after picking up a minor hamstring injury against Aston Villa before the international break, and it is still unknown when Alisson will return following his own hamstring injury in early October.

Robertson is ahead of Salah in the captaincy pecking order, but he has not always been a starter under Slot. The Liverpool boss has alternated between Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas in the left-back position for most of the season.

In the last 13 games since Liverpool's Champions League season started in mid-September, Robertson has played seven games, while Tsimikas has played six. If the Greek star gets the chance to start against Southampton and key players such as Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Alisson are missing from Liverpool's starting line-up, this would be the first time Salah has captained the Reds in a Premier League match .

In December 2020, Salah was reportedly unhappy when the captaincy was handed to Alexander-Arnold in a Champions League match against Midtjylland. In an interview with AS, when asked about the incident, Salah said: “To be honest, I was very disappointed. I expected to be made captain. But it is the manager's decision, so I accept it.”

Klopp later admitted his oversight, explaining that he intended to give the armband to the longest-serving player on the pitch, which should have been Divock Origi. Klopp tried to pour cold water on the incident when he said: 'I've been captain for a long time in my career, and what a great job that is because you don't get a lot of benefits, just a lot of work. with all the things around it.

“I didn't feel or don't feel the importance of being captain. Yes, we have a captain like Hendo and that's important, but to be captain for one match. I didn't realize how important that can be for players because in this world now everything is one big story.”