The 33-year-old forward, who has endured a spell of indifferent form, was left on the bench for the first time in Slot's Premier League tenure, with the manager opting for an altered attacking setup that ultimately delivered a much-needed win.

Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo provided the goals as Liverpool ended a dismal run of nine defeats in twelve matches.

Slot admitted that Salah's frustration was understandable, but praised the Egyptian for handling the situation professionally.

He added that dropping a player of Salah's stature is never an easy call, yet felt the team required a tactical shift to regain momentum.

Salah's immediate future with the team remains uncertain, as he is set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday, 15 December, following Liverpool's match against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, 13 December.

Whether he will be restored to the starting XI for Wednesday's trip to Sunderland is unclear, as Slot has yet to confirm if he will retain the system used so effectively against West Ham.

"It's a fair assumption (that he wasn't happy to be left out)," Slot commented during his pre-match press briefing. "And it's a normal reaction from a player who is good enough to play for us.

"And I say that mildly because he has been so outstanding for this club for so many years and will be for us in the future. So yeah, of course a player isn't happy not playing.

"He wasn't the only one who wasn't happy that he wasn't starting, I can tell you. And that's normal. But the way he behaved was as you would expect from the professional he is.

"He was very supportive for his team-mates. Handled himself really well during the day and yesterday in the session as well. You cannot be a player that is available every three days and plays to that high standards if you go with your emotions.

"But for Mo, he is so disciplined and knows what to do to stay fit. No matter if he plays well, doesn't play well, if he plays or if he doesn't play he will always be that top professional. And that's what he was the last two days."

Stellenbosch can't afford to drop points, says coach Steve Barker