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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Paul Gorst

Mohamed Salah's first two words to Jurgen Klopp after AFCON heartbreak as Liverpool return confirmed

Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Mohamed Salah has declared his intention to play a part against Leicester at Anfield.

But the Reds boss also confirmed that Sadio Mane will not be involved when they host the Foxes on Thursday night.

Both Mane and Salah played 120 minutes of the Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Egypt as the former struck the winning penalty in the shootout in Cameroon on Sunday evening.

Mane is currently with the Senegal squad soaking up the celebrations in his home nation as a result and is not due back on Merseyside until later this week.

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp's comments about Thiago prove Liverpool boss has broken transfer habit for Fabio Carvalho

READ MORE: Mohamed Salah wants instant Liverpool return after AFCON heartbreak

Klopp, though, says Salah is raring to go as he aims to add to the 23 goals he has scored already this season, despite having played 480 minutes in less than a fortnight with the Pharaohs at AFCON.

“Mo is now back," Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com "I spoke already to him.

"He is very disappointed of course, but looking forward to all the things coming up here now.

“I spoke to him and pretty much the first thing Mo told me was: ‘I’m ready.’ Haha!

“He is an experienced player, he is a physical monster, to be honest, so we have to see.

"He will obviously have a little recovery session today and we will see how he feels tomorrow and from there we go.

“The proper plan we don’t have, play him as often and as long as possible is probably the plan, but we will not rush it.

"But if he is fine we will not leave him out for the wrong reasons as well, so let’s see.”


On Mane, Klopp added: "Sadio flies out if it’s possible on Wednesday night, so will arrive here on Thursday but he is, of course, then not involved in the Leicester game.

“It means the world to him, it means the world to his people, it means the world to Senegal and we respect that a lot and we would never consider to have called him back from there or whatever – let them do what they do in the moment because they deserve it.

“They’ve had an incredibly intense time, so when he is back we will talk to him and we will see how we can use him.”

He added: “The pressure on Sadio with missing the penalty in the game and then the last one… wow! I cannot imagine how he would have felt. But you could see the joy and relief after that so he was obviously in the best possible shape.

“We have texted a little bit here and there but he is still in Africa, still in Senegal, celebrating and we will see – Wednesday night or something like that we will send him out. But yes, it was obviously a big tournament and meant the world to him.”

Salah's eligibility means Klopp is close to having a full complement to choose from when Brendan Rodgers' side visit Anfield later this week, with just Mane absent.

Divock Origi returned to training last week and is back in contention alongside new signing Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott.

Joe Gomez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are back in training having tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

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