Mane’s return gives Liverpool a fitness boost as Clyne suffers another setback

Liverpool winger Sadio Mane is set to make an unexpected return in today’s Premier League match at West Ham but right-back Nathaniel Clyne has suffered another injury.

Mane resumed training on Thursday following a hamstring problem he sustained while away on international duty with Senegal last month.

The 25-year-old was not thought to be in contention for the fixture at the London Stadium despite having returned from the injury a fortnight ahead of schedule.

But the player’s sharpness at Melwood in the past 48 hours prompted Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, to reconsider. Mane will now be part of the squad, although he is likely to be named on the bench.

“Sadio trained the first time with the team, and looked really, really good,” admitted Klopp.

“It looked like he was ready for 20-25 minutes but we still have to wait to see how his body reacts to the session. Obviously, he has not lost his ability and skills in the injury break so that is good.”

The presence of Mane, one of the club’s most influential attacking players, will be a boost for Klopp, given that Brazil playmaker Philippe Coutinho is again absent with an abductor problem.

Klopp also revealed that there was still no timescale on when Clyne would be available after the right-back suffered another blow in his rehabilitation. The England international has not featured at all this season because of a persistent back problem.

“You cannot rush it,” Klopp added. “He was in a good way, running and with intensity, stuff like this. But the muscle showed a little reaction. That was not an injury, and usually with a healthy and fit player you wouldn’t even think about it.

“But in his case, because it was a little sign of the back, we took him out and it’s a few steps back again.”

Klopp, meanwhile, has told his players to ignore social-media criticism because his thoughts are the only ones they should really care about. Liverpool centre-back Dejan Lovren was subjected to death threats on Instagram this week.

“No other opinion is important,” Klopp said. “That does not mean I am always 100 per cent right, but it’s the only important one.”