Liverpool vs Brentford LIVE: Team news as Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson prepare for Anfield farewell

Might Virgil van Dijk have just raised some doubts over the futures of Alisson Becker and Joe Gomez at Liverpool?

Perhaps fans are reading too much into his picture with Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.

He said: “Thankful and grateful for our journey together! One more to go and a send off you deserve.”

Perhaps Alisson and Gomez just joined for the picture, but both players’ futures are uncertain for next term.

Arne Slot has been involved in the discussions about Liverpool‘s pre-season tour and the summer recruitment. And a year ago, that sentence would have been utterly unremarkable, a statement of the obvious. Now the context is different. A season of speculation has stemmed more from results and a feeling among the fanbase than Slot himself or his employers. They, with their preference for silence, have said very little. But their inactivity has been an indication that Slot remains their choice and he said: “I have every reason to believe I am the Liverpool manager next season.”

Andy Robertson has said the summer signings who cost Liverpool £450m will go on to have “unbelievable” careers at Anfield and believes the club he is leaving will have a bright future.

The left-back feels that, despite Liverpool’s heavy spending, they are only at the transition stage and thinks that senior players like himself have to share some of the blame for their inconsistency this season.

But while Liverpool paid a club record £100m for Florian Wirtz and then a British record £125m for Alexander Isak, Robertson, who was an £8m bargain when he arrived in 2017, insists his teammates should not be judged on their transfer fees.

Andy Robertson is on his way to see his new mural near Anfield. It is a week of celebration of the man signed from relegated Hull who went on to become perhaps Liverpool’s greatest left-back. It isn’t Robertson’s way to seek out the spotlight, and he is happy to take second billing at his own farewell. But there has been an outpouring of appreciation nonetheless; from fans and teammates past and present alike.

The previous evening, he had opened a going-away present, courtesy of a man now in Madrid. “Last night’s emotional part,” Robertson said. “Trent [Alexander-Arnold] got me a gift which nearly tipped me over the edge.” It was a picture of the pair, celebrating the 2019 Champions League triumph.

They were flying full-backs and brothers in arms, spurring each other on with their attacking exploits. Robertson broke the Premier League record for assists by a defender. He then lost it to Alexander-Arnold. “We both took each other to levels we didn’t [expect],” smiled Robertson. “Because we both have a competitive nature, we both wanted to better each other but we also… it’s not, ‘I was gutted when he did something special’. It’s more like, ‘if he has put an unbelievable ball in and got an assist, I want to do that now’. Me and him just went on the best journey ever.”

And the Liverpool head coach believes that, despite 12 members of his squad liking Salah’s post, he still has their backing.

Salah said Liverpool crumbled to defeat at Aston Villa last Friday and urged them to go back to playing the heavy-metal football associated with former manager Jurgen Klopp.

But Slot, who is not on social media, said: “The impact, I don’t know if it had an impact on the group but what I have seen is that the team trained really well this week and we hope to continue really well in the upcoming two days so we’re as best prepared as possible.

here are different ways of ending Liverpool careers. Steven Gerrard’s was among the most ignominious, a Champions League-winning captain departing after a 6-1 defeat to Stoke City. Kenny Dalglish’s was more sentimental, as a substitute in a team who had already won the league in 1990.

Dalglish was brought on by the manager – himself – which meant he had two further exits, standing down in 1991, being dismissed in 2012.

Mohamed Salah has arguably joined Gerrard and Dalglish in a trinity; of Liverpool’s three greatest ever players. He stands third for goals, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt, with a better goal-per-game ratio than either.

Here’s what every club needs and the possibilities depending on their own result and others:

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage from Anfield today as Liverpool welcome Brentford in a match with significance still.

The Reds are not guaranteed Champions League football yet, with the European places still to be decided.

But the departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson will bring plenty of emotion following the final whistle.

Senior Football Correspondent Richard Jolly will be on hand to report on the occasion, stick with us for all the updates at Anfield.