Liverpool FC Forum

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says "it's so good" Mohamed Salah is back in his squad for the Europa League last-16 first leg at Sparta Prague.

Salah suffered a hamstring injury playing for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

He returned when he played and scored as a substitute against Brentford on 17 February but has been sidelined since then with muscle fatigue.

"Mo travelled. He's with us, he trained two days," said Klopp.

"Full of energy. We have to see but it's so good that he's back. It's really good for us and you can see he's very happy.

"A very unlucky situation [him] being out that long.

"He played an incredible game at Brentford and was then out again."

Salah, 31, has scored 19 goals for Liverpool this season, including 15 in 21 Premier League games.

The forward's return comes for the trip to the Czech Republic and before league leaders Liverpool host second-placed Manchester City in the top flight on Sunday.

The Reds then play the second leg against Sparta Prague prior to a trip to Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

"We want to be careful and have to be careful [with Salah] but we are in the middle of a super-intense period of the season," added Klopp.

"We need everybody and now let's see how long we can use him.

"That's how it is with him and others as well. It's just good news."

Asked about concerns over Salah being called up by Egypt during the international break in March, Klopp said: "That is nothing to do [with me] really. That will be decided in different departments. No, nothing to do with that.

"Let's see how long he can play now. As I said, two days in team training - so, in a different situation players are not in the squad in this moment, but in our situation it makes sense.

"What can we give him? How much can we use him? We will see that.

"And then there are two games with Egypt, but it's really not up to me or stuff like this, we are not really involved. That is discussed in other departments, let me say it like that."

Honestly don't think we need Mo for this one. No disrespect to Sparta but we've got a bigger game coming up on Sunday that I'd be happier seeing Mo available for .

I wouldn’t mind him getting half an hour just to dust off any cobwebs for Sunday. Apart from that I’d play the kids tonight and hope we can turn around any damage in the second leg. Sunday’s game is too big to risk any injury or fatigue, we are going to have to run our blood to water on Sunday so let the lads get all the rest they can. We lose that the title is gone imo, a draw might even mean the same the way Arsenal are going goal difference wise.

Yeah I agree with both above. We got bigger fish to fry so I'd go with a mixed squad and hope for the best, but I would give 30-45 minutes to everyone who got back from injury.

I'd go with something like this:

             Kelleher
Bradley  Quansah  Virgil  Tsimikas
 
MacAllister   Gomez      Clark

      Elliot   Gakpo    Nunez

Take off Virgil, Bradley, MacAllister and Nunez at some point and bring on Konate, Endo, Szobozlai and Salah.

Liverpool team news

Team to play Sparta Prague:

Kelleher; Gomez, Konate, Quansah, Robertson; Endo, Elliott, Mac Allister; Diaz, Gakpo, Nunez

Substitutes: Adrian, Mrozen, Van Dijk, Szoboszlai, Salah, Tsimikas, Clark, Gordon, McConnell, Koumas, Bradley, Musialowski

Great to see players returning. Klopp obviously rates SP given the strength of the team he’s selected. We need to keep the momentum going especially as we have the Abu Dhabi Cheaters at Anfield on Sunday.

COYR

YNWA

Gakpo has become so careless with the ball, he's gone backwards this year. Good start by the boys, and a cracking goal by Nunez.

UvS xR4GEx » Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:19 pm wrote:Gakpo has become so careless with the ball, he's gone backwards this year. Good start by the boys, and a cracking goal by Nunez.

Yes great strike by Nunez, I have to agree about Gakpo, anonymous and when he does get a touch its so poor its unreal. Also Quansah has been pretty awful as well, giving the ball away and getting caught out of position. Never a replacement for VVD.

Super Nunez

3-0 to us at half time. These are quite poor tbh, we haven't even gone out of first gear.

Gakpo still can't score though, not even against these 

Half time and 3-0 up, great goals by Darwin but it could so easily have been 3-3. Defence has been a bit suspect not dealing with balls over the top down the flanks. Quansah having a hard time of it.

damjan193 » Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:37 pm wrote:3-0 to us at half time. These are quite poor tbh, we haven't even gone out of first gear.

Gakpo still can't score though, not even against these 

Yes they are poor but could easily have scored 3 and that just shows how shaky our defence has been.

Konate goes out injured with probably hamstring, f*cking great. Should have subbed him off at ht, we know that he's injury prone.

Diaz 4-1. Get everyone important off.

Gomez thinks he’s still playing LB as he’s so out of position for RB