Wayne Rooney has questioned whether Mohamed Salah is working hard enough following Liverpool’s recent dip in form.
Liverpool suffered a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea before the international break, their third straight loss in all competitions, allowing Arsenal to move above them at the top of the Premier League table.
Mohamed Salah, who won a slew of awards last season as Liverpool cruised to the title, has struggled to find his usual rhythm this campaign. The Egyptian forward has scored only twice in the league so far, with only one of the two coming from open play.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the Manchester United legend said Salah needs to contribute more when he’s not scoring or assisting.
“We know he doesn’t always track back, but against Chelsea his full-back was getting exposed and he was just watching,” Rooney said.
“He needs to help out more. Players like Van Dijk should be telling him that. That was a worry and I think he has looked a bit lost over the last week. When you’re scoring, it’s fine, but lately I would question his work ethic.”
The 33-year-old star forward has indeed looked out of form in recent weeks. Rooney also suggested Liverpool boss Arne Slot could consider adjusting Salah’s position as he gets older, similar to how Sir Alex Ferguson once used Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.
“Maybe Slot could move him inside and put someone else wide,” Rooney added. “That way, Salah can still make the difference without needing to do as much defensive work.”
Salah has since joined up with the Egyptian national team ahead of their final two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, facing Djibouti on October 8 and Guinea-Bissau on October 12. The Pharaohs currently top their group and will be aiming to secure automatic qualification for next year’s tournament.