Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, hopes that Mohamed Salah, the team’s main striker, will return to the squad for their crucial upcoming matches in their pursuit of four titles this season. Salah has been out of action for a couple of weeks due to a hamstring injury but returned to training ahead of their Europa League round-of-16, first leg match against Sparta Prague, which is happening on Thursday at 17:45 and will be broadcasted on Virgin Media Two and TNT Sports 1.
Whilst Klopp initially didn’t plan on involving Salah in the journey to Prague under the normal circumstances because he just resumed training on Monday, the coming hectic schedule forced him to call back his top scorer, who netted 19 times this season. Liverpool’s itinerary includes a home match against Manchester City, two Europa League games and an away game to Manchester United in the FA Cup – all within the next ten days.
Klopp expressed his delight in having Salah back in the fold after witnessing the energy he brought to training sessions in the last two days. The manager admitted they have to exercise caution given Salah’s recent health status but they can’t afford to keep him out much longer because of the demanding period they are in.
Salah’s early return may encourage Egypt to include him in their friendly tournament against New Zealand and either Tunisia or Croatia following their game against United, in spite of his recent fitness battles. Klopp, however, declined to comment on any potential strife between club and international priorities.
Regarding the possibility of Salah, who incurred a hamstring injury at the Africa Cup of Nations, being selected again, the response was, “It’s none of our business.” “[Different sections] will make the final decision,” he stated. “We need to see how long he lasts. He’s only been in team practice for two days. In other circumstances, players wouldn’t be in the team right now, but it seems appropriate given the current situation. What contribution can they make? How can they be fully utilised? And regarding the two matches with Egypt, it’s really not my decision. We’re not included.”
Looking ahead to a face-off against an undefeated Sparta team, Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister anticipates an intense fight. This season, Sparta have not lost a home match and succeeded in reversing a 3-2 shortfall against Galatasaray in the playoffs to reach the last 16, with a home victory of 4-1. The team is guided by Brian Priske, the ex-Midtjylland coach, and are currently leading the Czech champions league by a margin of four points. During the 2020-21 Champions League matches against the Danish team, Klopp, the Liverpool manager, confessed he had a tiff with him.
In reflective mood, the Liverpool manager said, “Their style of play was rather aggressive and caused some heated exchanges on the sidelines, as I remember. I watched the match against Galatasaray, and it certainly wasn’t an friendly encounter either. We’re in the knockout phase; everyone’s determined to do whatever it takes. We’re not here for a friendly match.”
He then complimented the manager and said “He’s done a fantastic job, and leading the Czech league after a nine-year interval is an impressive achievement. Evidently, there are some capable Danish coaches around.” as per the Guardian.
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