Former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison believes Arne Slot needs to consider benching Mohamed Salah going forward.

After breaking the bank and signing Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak in the summer, Liverpool were hoping they would continue to dominate in England as well as Europe. While they had a decent start to the season, things haven’t really worked out for them.

Everything collapsed in a matter of weeks, and just three months into the season, they are out of the Carabao Cup and are eight points behind league leaders Arsenal. Given their performances so far this season, Don Hutchison feels Slot needs to figure out a way to get things back on track in the coming months.

Hutchison, who played for the Merseyside club between 1991 and 1994, believes Slot needs to have all three of Wirtz, Ekitike and Isak in the starting XI. He can’t have his big-money signings fighting for a spot in the team and waiting for them to click.

The Dutch manager must stand by them and give them the minutes they need to rediscover their form. But for that to happen, Slot needs to have a difficult conversation around Mohamed Salah’s place in the team. He will have to bench their record goal scorer to get all three of his big signings in the XI.

Don Hutchison on what Liverpool must do

During an exclusive interview with , Hutchison said: “The uncomfortable conversation will be around the likes of Mo Salah because there’s a way to get Ekitike, Isak and Wirtz into the same team, but it means there’s no place for Salah.

“You can have [Milos] Kerkez on the left and [Conor] Bradley on the right as wing-backs. Then you have Szoboszlai and Gravenberch in midfield.”

The 54-year-old suggested a tactical shift with two strikers up top and Wirtz in the number ten role behind them. He feels the upcoming AFCON will be the best time to try it, as Salah won’t be around for a month. If things click, Slot will then have to convince the Egyptian about having a rotational role, just months after working very hard to convince him to pen a new two-year deal to continue at the club.

Hutchison further added: “If you want to put a positive spin on it, every team in the Premier League would love Wirtz, Isak and Salah. Now Slot’s job is trying to come up with a formula to get all those three into the same 11, with Ekitike, because you can’t spend all that money on Wirtz, Isak and Ekitike and tell them to fight for their place in the side. They have to be starters now.

“I would be very tempted to play all three from now to the end of the season and play their way into form, into goals, into chemistry, into improving the league position. I know it’s a big jump from now to the end of season, but that will be Liverpool’s team and individuals going forward. That’s what I would look at.

“So the uncomfortable conversation is around why and how you don’t get Mo Salah into that team anymore. Perhaps the Africa Cup of Nations would be the time to try it!”

Mohamed Salah is far from his best

Salah was certainly the best player for Liverpool last season, as he finished with 34 goals and 23 assists in his 52 outings. He averages more than one goal contribution a game, and he played a big part in their Premier League triumph.

But the Egyptian has failed to replicate that form this time around. He only has eight goal contributions in his 16 outings, which suggests it might actually make sense to try having all three of Wirtz, Ekitike and Isak in the XI ahead of Salah.