LIVERPOOL  — Arne Slot said he would welcome Mohamed Salah back at Liverpool even if he had 15 attackers as the Egypt forward nears a return from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah is set to play in Egypt’s third-place play-off match against Nigeria in Morocco on Saturday.

His impending return has been a major talking point after he took aim at Liverpool in an explosive interview early last month.

Salah accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” after he was benched for three games in a row and said he had no relationship with manager Slot.

But he appeared as a substitute in a 2-0 Premier League win against Brighton on December 13, providing an assist, and Slot subsequently said the club had moved on from the furore.

Slot, whose fourth-placed team host struggling Burnley on Saturday, was asked at his pre-match press conference about Salah’s return.

“First of all, he needs to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday,” said the Dutchman.