On the eve of a huge clash against Manchester United, here are your Liverpool FC headlines for Bank Holiday Monday, April 18.
Jurgen Klopp admits Sadio Mane 'problem' and dismisses Luis Diaz Liverpool claim
Jurgen Klopp has dismissed any suggestion that Sadio Mane's recent form is a reaction to Liverpool signing Luis Diaz in January.
The Reds brought in Diaz in a £49m deal mid-season to bolster their attacking ranks. The Colombian has predominantly played on the left-wing since his arrival and, as a result, Mane has often found himself utilised centrally. The Senegalese is currently in a rich vein of form in front of goal with his match-winning brace against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday taking his tally to four from his last four games and eight from 15 appearances since winning the Africa Cup of Nations.
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Speaking to reporters ahead of Liverpool 's Premier League clash with Manchester United at Anfield on Tuesday, Klopp suggested that Mane, like Mohamed Salah, had perhaps been struggling with the physical demands placed on him as a result of his mid-season international exploits. But having shone in recent weeks, the German praised how the forward is impressing in his new role down the middle.
"I've known Sadio nearly six years. As far as I know him, he never needed any kind of competition to try and be the best version of himself," Reds boss Klopp said. "For a long time he pretty much played all the games when he was fit and performed to an incredibly high level consistently.
"Bringing in Luis, I'm not sure that it affected that part of his game. I don't know, but it was not the reason for bringing in Luis. Playing the centre obviously suits Sadio very well as well. He played for us and scored some incredible goals and some important goals from the left-wing, but he can play the centre as well. And we saw that again.
"Sadio as well had some physical struggles since he came back. The boy didn't feel it but we could see it. He cannot use his immense physicality just like this week in, week out, every three days. That was the problem.
"But I really felt before the game against City, 'okay that looks like Sadio physically'. And that's why he could play the game he played. Very important, he was super difficult to defend and very helpful and incredibly important in our defending. His first goal, you can only score if you try to get there and he did that. You only do this run if you feel fresh enough to do it, it all works together.
"No, I don't think that Luis is the reason Sadio scored four goals. But he is a little as well because he can keep a last line pretty busy and that opens up gaps for other players."
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Villarreal confirm injury blow ahead of Liverpool Champions League semi-final
Villarreal have confirmed star striker Gerard Moreno has suffered a hamstring injury, putting his availability for their Champions League semi-final clash against Liverpool in serious doubt.
The Reds face the La Liga outfit at Anfield on Wednesday, April 27 before the return leg at the Estadio de la Ceramica on Tuesday, May 3. A place in the final is up for grabs against either Manchester City or Real Madrid.
Moreno is a vital player for Villarreal boss Unai Emery and was part of the team that beat Bayern Munich 2-1 on aggregate to progress to the semi-final stage. He also scored a penalty in the 3-0 win away to Juventus in the second leg of their round-of 16-tie.
This season, the 30-year-old forward has scored 13 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions with six assists to his name.
Moreno was forced off with a hamstring problem in Villarreal's 2-1 victory at Getafe in La Liga on Saturday. He scored their opening goal on seven minutes before he later made way for Giovani Lo Celso on the hour mark.
The club has now confirmed he's suffered a 'strain' on the hamstring and while neither serious nor a relapse of a previous muscle injury, no time frame has been put on the Spain international's return. But it's clear Moreno now faces a race against time to be fit to face Liverpool at Anfield next Wednesday.
