Headaches for Klopp at Liverpool
Injuries dog team, yet coach unfazed
MOHAMED Salah’s fitness, Philippe Coutinho’s future and Virgil van Dijk’s arrival are the three key issues facing Liverpool as they prepare to host neighbours Everton in the FA Cup’s outstanding third-round tie tonight.
Salah, Liverpool’s 23-goal top scorer, missed Monday’s 2-1 Premier League victory at Burnley because of a groin injury, and manager Jurgen Klopp has indicated that he remains a doubt.
Despite that, Klopp was happy that Egypt international Salah and Senegal forward Sadio Mane were both allowed to fly to Ghana for the Confederation of African Football’s player of the year awards ceremony.
“If it had been a match day, they wouldn’t have asked,” Klopp said. “For our side, it is just a sign of respect.
“We sleep in a hotel, they sleep in a plane. If Mo is not fit, it will not be because of that.”
Salah, Mane, Coutinho and Roberto Firmino are widely considered to be Liverpool’s four key forwards, though the Senegal international was the only one who started at Burnley, as Dominic Solanke was given a rare start.
Firmino was used only as a substitute, undoubtedly to keep him fresh for the Everton match, while Coutinho was omitted from the squad altogether with a thigh problem, amid reports that Barcelona were preparing a new attempt to sign him.
“He is a doubt, at least a doubt, for Everton,” Klopp said.
Defender Van Dijk, meanwhile, is eligible to make his debut, having officially completed his £75-million (R1.2-billion) move from Southampton on Monday. If he is selected, it will mean Klopp fielding a fourth different central defensive partnership in four games, with Joel Matip playing alongside Ragnar Klavan against Swansea and Dejan Lovren against Leicester, before dropping out as Klavan and Lovren faced Burnley.
“There is no rush,” Klopp said of Van Dijk. “We need time. A preseason is for that usually, but we don’t have a preseason.
“After the Everton game, we have a little bit more time – that will help, but it’s a longterm project.
“So it’s not important when he makes his first game. It’s important how many good games he will play for Liverpool.”
While Liverpool are unbeaten in all competitions since October 22, Everton have gone four games without victory, losing their last two, at Bournemouth on Saturday and at home to Man United on Monday.
New manager Sam Allardyce guided them to a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League on December 10, although the visitors were outplayed for a significant chunk of the game, needing a late Wayne Rooney penalty to secure a point.
England midfielder Ross Barkley is getting close to full fitness, having missed the entire season to date with a hamstring injury, but he is not expected to be available to face Liverpool.
Everton have struggled for goals all season – they have scored 25 in the Premier League to Liverpool’s 50 – and defender Michael Keane says that has to improve.
“We’ve not scored a lot of goals lately and we’ve not created a lot of chances,” he said.
“That’s something we need to do and we are working on it, it’s just not happening at the minute. – AFP