Mohamed Salah has been omitted from Liverpool's squad for their Champions League clash with Inter Milan.
Liverpool temporarily removed him from selection following an explosive interview in which he took aim at the club and head coach Arne Slot, sources told ESPN.
In his news conference Monday ahead of the Inter game, Slot said he had been caught off guard by Salah's comments about his treatment at the club. Amid doubts about Salah's future at Liverpool following the interview, Slot said he is "a firm believer there is always a possibility to return for a player."
It is unclear whether Salah will be considered for selection for Liverpool's Premier League game against Brighton on Saturday -- a fixture that would be his last game for the club before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations.
For his part, Slot was noncommittal.
"I think we are sitting here on an evening before a big game for us," Slot said. "There is only 36 hours between now and the moment we conceded to make it 3-3 at Leeds. You can understand that I've tried to prepare my team in the best possible way for tomorrow [against Inter]. Most of my thoughts are about tomorrow.
"In the meantime, we decided not to take him with us to this game, and then after tomorrow we will look at the situation again."
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Salah vented his frustrations at having been left on the bench for the duration of Liverpool's 3-3 draw at Elland Road and said he had been made the scapegoat at Anfield amid a stuttering start to the club's Premier League title defense.
Reflecting on those comments, Slot said Monday: "The only one who can answer that is Mo himself. I can guess, but I don't think that is the right thing to do. It's hard for me to tell who he means.
"We have let him know that he is not travelling with us. That was the only communication from us to him. Of course, before Saturday, the two of us have spoken a lot, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter."
Salah -- who has just four goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season -- trained with the first team at the AXA Training Centre on Monday morning. However, the club left him out of the traveling party for Tuesday night's match at the San Siro.
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Sources told ESPN the decision was taken in consultation with Slot and with his full support.
Given the nature and timing of the player's public comments, there is a belief that a period away from the squad is in the best interests of all parties, though Salah will not face disciplinary action.
Liverpool have won just four of their past 15 games in all competitions, but sources told ESPN that Slot maintains the full backing of the club's hierarchy despite Salah's outburst.
Liverpool currently sit 13th in the Champions League table and need a result in Milan to boost their chances of qualifying in the top eight for the knockout stages.
Information from PA was used in this report.