SALAH WILL BE CHECKING OUT IF LIVERPOOL DON'T SPLASH CASH

MOHAMED SALAH turns 31 on June 15 but such is his fitness, he will - touch wood play on at the highest level for another half a decade, at least.

- ANDY DUNN

Salah is the most remarkably robust of footballers.

Since his move to Liverpool in 2017, injury or illness has prevented him from being available for selection for only three matches.

He is not just ultra-talented, he is teak-tough.

But while we can expect to witness Salah's brilliance for several years to come, he is at the stage of his career when a season without Champions League football is hard to take.

And that much was crystal clear from his reaction to the formalities of non-qualification completed on Thursday night.

In his social media post, Salah said he was "totally devastated" and that there was "no excuse for this before telling fans "we let you and ourselves down." This was a truly candid post.

Particularly in an age when apologies from footballers seem to be increasingly common but not always sincere.