Klopp’s midfield options limited by latest injuries

JURGEN KLOPP said he will wait until the last minute to decide Liverpool’s line-up for today’s Premier League game with Stoke City at Anfield after Sadio Mane emerged as his latest injury doubt.

The winger sustained a thigh injury in Tuesday’s Champions League semifinal first leg against AS Roma, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also suffered knee ligament damage that has ended his season.

Klopp said Mane’s injury was “not serious” and suggested the Senegalese was only visiting a friend when he was spotted at a Liverpool hospital on Thursday.

“Sadio was just visiting a friend! Of course there is something. It’s not serious. There is a chance for tomorrow, we must wait on (him),” said Klopp.

“I prefer to wait until the last second. We have a few little things from the (Roma) game. My idea for the lineup is to win the game. It’s not about resting players. We play Tuesday-Saturday-Wednesday, so we could play same team, if they were available.

“There won’t be a thousand changes because it’s an important Premier League game for both teams.”

Liverpool are still not guaranteed the top-four finish that would secure a place in next season’s Champions League and still need to travel to fifthplaced Chelsea, who could overtake them.

Liverpool cannot afford to relax but with Adam Lallana and Emre Can still not fit, Klopp has only three first-team midfielders available to take on a side desperately scrapping for Premier League survival.

“Chelsea could win all their remaining games. We need to make sure that’s not enough (for them to get into the top four). We are desperate for the points, just like Stoke.”

Ideally, Klopp would probably like to rest at least one of Jordan Henderson, James Milner or Gini Wijnaldum ahead of next week’s trip to Rome, but his options are severely limited.

Another midfielder Philippe Coutinho was sold to Barcelona in January and Marko Grujic, who has previously featured, was sent to Cardiff City on loan and cannot be recalled. Other fringe players have also been loaned out this season.

One possibility for Klopp might be to move Trent Alexander-Arnold into midfield, with Nathaniel Clyne or Joe Gomez coming in at full back.

● Tottenham Hotspur have progressed to a “fantastic level” and it is only a matter of time before the London club’s efforts are rewarded with silverware, manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

Tottenham suffered an eighth straight FA Cup semifinal defeat last weekend when they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United. After finishing third and second in their past two Premier League campaigns, Tottenham are fourth this season with 68 points.

Pochettino’s side have not claimed a trophy since the 2008 League Cup and were beaten by Italian side Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League this season.

“Of course you always want to win... I think the way we are building our success, we are at a fantastic level so it’s only (a matter of) time,” Pochettino told a news conference ahead of Monday’s league game against 12th-placed Watford.

The Argentine played down comments he made following the FA Cup defeat by Jose Mourinho’s United where he suggested that the project at Tottenham would continue “with him or another”.

“Tottenham is doing a fantastic job developing an amazing project and I only wanted to tell you that this project is long-term. But it is not going to change with us or another coaching staff,” the 46-year-old added.

“It was not a message I was sending to someone. I was only explaining in the context of the question that the project is so strong, we believe in this project.”

Tottenham are looking to secure a top-four finish to bring Champions League soccer to their new stadium next season.

“I think the club needs to keep going, keep pushing in this direction, trying to achieve all the things that the club want.”