Mohamed Salah was back on the scoresheet on Wednesday, netting twice to help Egypt secure their place in the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 win over Djibouti. The forward now has an impressive tally of six goals and three assists from 13 appearances for both club and country this season.

However, unfortunately for Liverpool, three of those goals were scored while on international duty. Despite being the standout player in the Premier League last season, winning both the Golden Boot and Playmaker awards, Salah hasn’t quite hit the same form this campaign.

The 33-year-old hasn’t found the back of the net in his last four outings for the Reds, and failed to register a goal contribution in Liverpool’s consecutive losses to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea.

After a particularly disappointing performance at Stamford Bridge, it’s no surprise that he’s facing increased scrutiny outside of Anfield.

Salah at least responded perfectly when he joined up with his national team, scoring a well-taken brace in Egypt’s latest outing. Not only did his goals ensure their qualification for the World Cup for only the fourth time in their history, but they also made him the all-time leading African goalscorer in qualification history.

Back in familiar territory, the Egypt captain thrived. So it’s perhaps worth noting the impact of the changes he’s still adjusting to on Merseyside following a £450m summer spending spree.

The days when Salah would consistently see Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane to his left are long gone. Additionally, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s summer move to Real Madrid has left Salah with a new first-choice right-back for the first time in his Liverpool career.

However, the new first-choice option hasn’t yet been established, with Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Dominik Szoboszlazi all having started in the position during Liverpool’s first 11 matches of the season.

Salah has been in the starting line-up for nine out of his 10 appearances, with each of the trio starting three games each. However, Frimpong has been substituted before the hour-mark in two of his games, while Bradley has also been taken off at half-time twice.

View 3 ImagesJeremie Frimpong signed for Liverpool in the summer(Image: Gerrit van Keulen/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, in one game, Szoboszlai was moved into midfield at the break.

The constant rotation isn’t helping Salah as he tries to build new relationships on the pitch after eight years of stability alongside Alexander-Arnold. Each of the three right-backs brings different skills to the role and plays it in their own unique way.

Liverpool’s attack has been slightly more stable, but Salah still stands alongside new teammates he has to get used to in the frontline.

A front three of Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo has been Slot’s preferred choice for most of the season, starting together six times. However, despite a promising start, the Frenchman is also still settling in at Anfield.

The same applies to both Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz following their hefty transfers to Merseyside.

Salah has already acknowledged this situation, having grown accustomed to consistency in Liverpool’s attacking setup throughout his Anfield stint.

The Egyptian formed one-third of the Reds’ unquestioned frontline trio alongside Firmino and Mane, yet still shared the pitch for several seasons with squad players like Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino.

Similarly, the late Diogo Jota was a long-term colleague, as were Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez before their summer exits.

During a recent chat with the Men In Blazers podcast, Salah acknowledged it will require patience to develop understanding with his fresh teammates, using Ekitike as a case in point.

“So far, I didn’t figure the connections out yet,” Salah candidly confessed. “Like with Darwin or Lucho or the guys they used to play in front, or Diogo.

“I knew where to start with Diogo or Darwin. I know where to find them. I knew their game very well, but with Hugo, he’s still new. Sometimes I need the ball in the field. Sometimes we need it in the space.

“We try to figure that out, through the training sessions or like the videos. The manager shows us. So I will figure it out soon because also it’s going to help my game to grow as well.”

Liverpool are working tirelessly behind the scenes at their training ground to build a strong rapport between their new-look attack.

And Ekitike has now shed light on how Salah is going above and beyond to help him settle in, improve his game, and speed up the process.

View 3 ImagesHugo Ekitike has impressed with Liverpool since his move to the club(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

“It’s really good,” he responded when quizzed by BBC Sport about playing alongside Salah. “Mo is a really cool guy.

“He is really open with me and is really good to talk too. He is great to play with. I was watching him on TV when he was scoring the goals and stuff but he is a really great athlete

“You can just improve yourself and learn from him. It is good to share the pitch with him and I hope we are going to score lots of goals and bring some wins to the team together.

“He is very cool. More cool than what I have seen on TV because sometimes you see straight face and stuff so I thought he was cold… someone who doesn’t talk a lot.

“He is really open, like all of the guys here. They are really open and want me to adapt to the team.”

Liverpool haven’t been firing on all cylinders this season, but they’re fully aware of it. Slot’s revamped side is still finding its feet.

However, players like Salah and Ekitike are putting in the extra work off the pitch to ensure the Reds click into gear as soon as possible.