Red tape in Africa delays Mane’s rescue mission
Liverpool’s efforts to get Sadio Mane home from the African Nations Cup as quickly as possible were frustrated by red tape to further complicate his availability for tonight’s crucial game at home to Chelsea.
The club sent a private jet to Gabon on Sunday following Senegal’s exit from the competition but the issues with the flight delayed his arrival back home until the evening, therefore meaning he missed team training.
Liverpool will have another session today and manager Jurgen Klopp will have to decide then whether to include the player, at best as a substitute, who was distraught after missing the critical penalty in a 5-4 shootout quarter-final defeat by Cameroon.
“I don’t know exactly (when he will be available),” said Klopp yesterday. “The club did an outstanding job to bring him back as soon as possible and he is now on his way.
“We thought it would be possible yesterday: we had a plane there but he was not allowed to go in the plane so we had to wait.
“He will be here tonight but I spoke to him and it is all good so far.
“He will be in tomorrow morning and we have to make a decision. We have to look in his eyes and see whatever is possible.”
In Mane’s absence – his last
0 Despondent Sadio Mane reflects on his penalty miss in the shootout which ended Senegal’s African Cup of Nations challenge. game was the 2-2 draw at Sunderland on 2 January – Liverpool have won just once (against Sky Bet League Two Plymouth) in seven matches and scored only five goals.
The 24-year-old’s return is being seen as an immediate solution to the malaise which has affected them in January.
While Klopp is delighted to have the club’s joint-top scorer this season back, he is keen not to load too much expectation on him.
“It was a strange situation in the Senegal game against Cameroon and I wish not for one second he missed the penalty at the end but it happened so he is coming back,” he added.
“He is a quality player. It is easier if you have him in the team or around the team than when you don’t have him. That’s fair.
“But it is not that he can decide games by himself or we should expect this.”
Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte wants his Premier League leaders to land a blow on Liverpool’s title hopes.
The Anfield inflicted one of Chelsea’s three league losses so far this season, winning 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in September, but the recent form slump by Jurgen Klopp’s men has left them ten points behind the Blues.
Conte believes they may find it too difficult to respond from defeat (tonight) in the remaining 15 games.
“It could be a hard hit mentally for them,” Conte said. “It’s important to win this type of game, increase your confidence, take three points from a rival.
“I hope to change the result if you compare the first game and the first part of the season.”
Chelsea followed up the loss to Liverpool with a Premier League defeat at Arsenal, who visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Conte’s switch to a 3-4-3 formation after the Arsenal loss was the catalyst for a 13-match winning run in the Premier League, ended at Tottenham on 4 January.
“Honestly, I think we are a different team, not Liverpool. I think that we grew a lotand for this reason now we are top of the table,” he added.
“It’s incredible this, because it’s not easy to have two defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal and to find the strength to start and to arrive top of the table and to have 13 wins in a row.” Rangers last night confirmed the signing of Port Vale goalkeeper Jak Alnwick on a three-and-ahalf-year contract.
The former Newcastle United player, who has represented England at under-17 and under-18 level, passed a medical yesterday and joins the Ibrox club for an undisclosed fee, although Rangers are believed to have agreed a fee of £250,000 for the 23-year-old.
Alnwick last night tweeted: “a dream come true to join @Rangers FC, looking forward to being a part of this amazing club.”
Hexham-born Alnwick has had loan spells with Gateshead and Bradford and had played 67 league matches for Port Vale before his move to Scotland.
The Potteries club tweeted: “We would like to thank @Alnwick42 for his time at the club & we wish him all the best in the future #Thankyoujak”