Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has provided an update on the injury of star player Mohamed Salah, which he sustained during Africa Cup of Nations match. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the extent of Salah's injury, Klopp remains hopeful about his team's prospects.
Salah has been a pivotal figure for Liverpool this season, with 18 goals and nine assists in 27 games across various competitions. His absence will undoubtedly be felt by both his club and national team.
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, said:
"In the last AFCON we were missing both Mo and Sadio [Mane] when Senegal played Egypt in the final so for us, it’s normal. We’ve already played a few games without him already this season, we played against West Ham without him and we have alternatives."
"It’s not a problem where we’re scrambling to see how we can replace Mo. He’s away, he’s injured as well, we don’t know how long that will take but I’m happy with the team we have today. It’s not the best bench we’ve ever had but there are good players on the bench and we can hopefully stay fit and look towards the next game after this one."
Salah is out for next two AFCON matches
The Liverpool forward is set to miss Egypt's next two fixtures in AFCON due to a back muscle strain he picked up during their recent match against Ghana. This comes as a significant blow for Egypt as they navigate through the tournament; notably, it was Salah who helped them secure an important point against Mozambique with a last-minute penalty that resulted in a 2-2 draw.
Despite these challenges, Klopp maintains an optimistic outlook. In conversation with Sky Sports, he explained that Liverpool is accustomed to playing without key players like Salah during AFCON.
With younger players ready to step up, Klopp isn't too worried
"I'm not too worried," said Klopp when asked about dealing with concerns around Salah’s injury. He further revealed that he has placed trust in younger players to step up amidst these injury concerns in upcoming Premier League fixtures.
Jurgen Klopp added:
"We have had these two for so long now, Curtis has been with us for a long time, Harvey as well - they’re young but they already have a lot of miles in them, a lot of experience. It’s all fine, they’re experienced enough, everyone has to show up and play the way we want to play."
Egypt will face group leaders Cape Verde in their final group game on January 22nd without their star player. It remains to be seen how they will fare without him and whether other members can rise to fill his shoes effectively.
While Mohamed Salah’s absence may pose challenges for both Liverpool and Egypt due to his stellar performance this season, there is still optimism from Jurgen Klopp regarding overcoming these hurdles.
