Wednesday’s briefing: Liverpool move on without Mohamed Salah as Chelsea slip up

There were mixed results for English teams in the Champions League as Liverpool moved on from the Mohamed Salah furore with victory and Tottenham won, but Chelsea lost.

There was also some mixed injury news for Arsenal.

Mo who?

Liverpool brushed off the absence of the exiled Mohamed Salah with a 1-0 Champions League victory over Inter Milan in San Siro.

With their regular penalty-taker left at home after his extraordinary outburst against head coach Arne Slot and the club after Saturday’s draw at Leeds it was left to Dominik Szoboszlai to step up and convert an 88th-minute spot-kick.

That may point to the future in one aspect but the manner of the victory, which moved Liverpool back into the top eight with an improved chance of avoiding the play-offs, offered the first signs of resilience of an otherwise brittle season.

The forward, who posted a picture of himself in an empty gym back at their AXA training complex earlier in the day, had paid the price for saying his relationship with Slot had broken down and he felt someone at the club was trying to force him out.

Chelsea get the Blues

Chelsea gave up a half-time lead to fall to a 2-1 Champions League defeat by Atalanta in Bergamo to leave their hopes of a top-eight finish on a knife edge.

Enzo Maresca’s side led through Joao Pedro’s near-post finish but were stunned after the break as the Serie A side hit back.

First, former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca was left unmarked to head the equaliser 10 minutes into the second half, then a fabulous late strike from Charles De Ketelaere won it.

The Blues had been the better side in the first 45 minutes and looked on course for the win that would have put them likely only three more points away from a guaranteed spot in the last 16.

But after their second-half collapse they will surely now need victories in both of their remaining matches – which include a trip to face Antonio Conte’s Napoli in January – if they are to avoid entering the play-off round.

Jesus returns

Jesus Gabriel Jesus could make his first Arsenal appearance in 332 days after he travelled to Belgium for his side’s Champions League match against Club Brugge.

Jesus has been sidelined since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round defeat against Manchester United on January 12.

However, Arsenal have confirmed that the 28-year-old has now been registered for their Champions League squad.

He takes the place of 15-year-old Max Dowman, who sustained an ankle injury playing for the Gunners’ under-21 side on Saturday.

What’s on today

There is the latest instalment of Manchester City’s Champions League rivalry with Real Madrid, whule Newcastle will aim to take a step closer to automatic qualification for the knockout stages as they take on Bayer Leverkusen, who are fresh from beating Pep Guardiola’s City last time out.

Arsenal will expect to continue their 100 per cent record as they visit Bruges, while Sean Dyche and Unai Emery will speak to the media ahead of Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa’s Europa League matches.

The midweek Championship fixtures conclude while Manchester United and Chelsea are in Women’s Champions League action.