MatchMarseille v Liverpool: Champions League team news

The No.11 has returned to training with the Reds after more than a month away at the Africa Cup of Nations representing Egypt.

And Salah was part of the 20-man travelling party that landed in France on Tuesday evening.

Asked about his readiness to be involved against the Ligue 1 club, head coach Arne Slot said: "With Mo, I'm really happy and pleased that he's back.

"In his absence I think we've done quite OK in terms of hardly conceding any chance. We start to create more and more - and if you start to create more and more, it's really helpful to have a player like Mo Salah.

"Because if there's ever been a player - I think there was one who scored more for this club - that can score goals and I can still play, I don't think I can play Ian Rush still, then it's really helpful to have him back.

"We would never know but the amount of chances, the amount of ball possession against Burnley, with Mo on the pitch it would usually mean that we would have scored more.

"That's why I'm really happy that he's back, because creating chances is nice but we are only judged on results and that wasn't nice.

"So, hopefully we can combine two things. Create the same chances, able to score more and keep not conceding chances on the other end."

Ibrahima Konate was not part of the squad that made the journey from Merseyside to Marseille, however.

Slot was asked about the centre-back during his pre-match press conference and if he could still link up with the team ahead of the 8pm GMT kick-off.

He replied: "Ibou didn't travel with us because of family matters and I would leave it with that. I will speak to him tomorrow again."

Liverpool continue to be without long-term absentees Conor Bradley, Alexander Isak and Giovanni Leoni.

Curtis Jones would be suspended for next week's league-phase conclusion if he receives a yellow card in this fixture - as is the case for Marseille's Nayef Aguerd, Leonardo Balerdi and Benjamin Pavard.

Aguerd could be available again after representing Morocco in the AFCON final on Sunday.

Pavard, meanwhile, was absent from Marseille's victory over Angers at the weekend with an issue head coach Roberto De Zerbi described as 'nothing serious'.

No update was provided by De Zerbi on the defensive pair when he spoke to reporters on the eve of this game.

Marseille entered matchday seven in 16th place in the league-phase standings, having won three and lost three.

"We prepare for it and we play to win," De Zerbi said. "If we don't all run together, we won't win.

"This is especially important for the forwards. I always have forwards on the bench. If we have a drop in energy in the 60th minute, I can make changes.

"We have to play with courage. We have what it takes to look them in the eye, like we did against [Paris Saint-Germain]. In competition, we can lose but we can also win."

Last match

Angers 2-5 Marseille (January 17): Rulli, Murillo, Balerdi, Medina, Emerson, Hojbjerg, Nadir, Weah, Greenwood, Traore, Gouiri.

Liverpool 1-1 Burnley (January 17): Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Jones, Gakpo, Ekitike.