Mohamed Salah fitness results and Liverpool comitments have sent Arne Slot message

Arne Slot had barely settled into his new role at when he received a significant boost from . The Reds' top scorer in the Premier League era opted for a full, uninterrupted pre-season schedule in Paris.

This decision, no doubt difficult for someone as dedicated and patriotic as Salah, was a clear indication of a player planning for the future. Instead of representing Egypt in France, Salah was one of the first to report back to Slot and his team at the AXA Training Centre in early July.

Rather than just going through the motions, Salah demonstrated his enduring class to during the Six-Minute-Race endurance exam, an arduous running-based drill designed to cover between 1.5 and 2km as quickly as possible.

"Phenomenal," was how Conall Murtagh, Liverpool's head of physical performance, described Salah's performance as he outperformed Sepp van den Berg - a player 10 years his junior - at the Kirkby base. Salah's exceptional performance in this newly introduced test was an early indication of his eagerness to excel under his new manager.

Whether his motivation was to be the star player for Liverpool under a new regime or to secure his future through his performances during the final year of his contract on Merseyside, only Salah can tell. But so far, it's been a powerful combination for fans to savor, reports .

In Slot's first 10 games, the Egyptian has scored six goals and provided five assists, demonstrating that his decision to undertake a 'proper' pre-season program with the new setup was a wise one. The decision made over the weekend to return to his club instead of playing for Egypt at Mauritania's Stade Cheikha Ould Boidiya was a sensible and practical one, giving the 32-year-old the best possible opportunity to shine when Chelsea visits Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

There were serious concerns about the artificial surface of Nouakchott Stadium, confirmed by Egypt in an announcement that discussed a meeting with both Salah and manager Hossam Hassan. The decision was made for the Liverpool star to skip the fixture.

Beyond worries over Mauritania's national stadium turf, Hassan highlighted fears of "violent interventions" from the home side. He commented, "If any player asks me not to play on artificial turf, I will agree. The Mauritanian team plays hard and with violent interventions, and their field is not the best. If Salah specifically asks me to do so, I will agree."

It's a huge relief for Slot and the Liverpool squad that Salah has chosen to head back to Merseyside rather than risk injury on a subpar pitch accompanied by aggressive opposition. As Salah approaches his 32nd year and enters the last stretch of his current deal with Liverpool, prioritizing club commitments over international matches seems like the wise choice, particularly given his key role since the beginning of the Slot era and the slew of crucial matches on the horizon.

When you factor in Salah's injury saga during the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, followed by ensuing fitness woes and a dip in form, it's clear he's playing it smart by focusing on the bigger picture.