Mohamed Salah has big advantage over rivals for new season - but so does Erling Haaland

There's no doubt when it comes to the ideal preseason, new Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been dealt a difficult hand ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.

The Dutchman, who has taken up the Reds reins from Jurgen Klopp, is without a host of first team stars for Liverpool's US pre-season tour, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Joe Gomez, Alexis Mac Allister, Darwin Nunez and Virgil van Dijk all set to miss the stateside triple header of games due to international action this summer.

In the case of Alexander-Arnold, Slot has had to deal with the speculation around the England internationals contract, which is set to expire next summer. While it seems unthinkable and unlikely the 25-year-old will leave this summer, Alexander-Arnold has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

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Then there's also the fact Liverpool has yet to make a signing this summer, something which would have helped Slot given he is already without so many of his first-team squad. But one advantage Slot has been handed this summer is a fully fit Mohammed Salah, who will be raring to go when Liverpool take on Ipswich Town at Portman Road on August 17.

Speaking to the media recently, Slot said: "I think it's important for every player to have a full pre-season but unfortunately that's almost impossible for most of the players in these current times where we play so many Euros and other kinds of tournaments.

"But I think in an ideal situation, every player wants to have a proper pre-season. Fortunately, Mo [Salah] has one. Unfortunately, many others don't have it. But it's the way it is these days."

Do you think Mo Salah will win the Premier League's golden boot this season? Let us know in the comments section below.

And the summer off for Salah will surely make him one of the favourites for the Premier League golden boot this season, an award he has not won since he shared the honor with Spurs forward Son Heung-Min back in 2022. However, frustratingly for Salah, while he will be well rested and ready to torment Premier League goalkeepers in a few weeks time, so will Manchester City's Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian striker has won the golden boot the last two seasons, scoring 36 goals in his debut Premier League campaign, before winning the award with 27 last term.

Thankfully for Liverpool, should Salah win the award this term coming and beat out Haaland, it will likely mean the Reds will have enjoyed a successful debut season under Slot. And if he was to win the golden boot for a fourth time, he would tie Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as the only player to win the award on four separate occassions.