A Daily Mail report caused panic among scores of Liverpool fans yesterday, as they released pictures of Sadio Mane visiting a hospital with a slight limp. After losing the likes of Emre Can and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to injuries in recent times, Mane’s hospital encounter only added to the tension.
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that the player has, in fact, picked up a knock. Our gaffer spoke about this issue at his pre-match conference ahead of the game against Stoke City and Liverpool’s official website provided us with a low-down of the extent of the injury.
“Of course there is something. We will see,” said Klopp. “It is not that serious; there is a chance for tomorrow. If we use that chance or not… it is quite early in the day.
“In these times, you always have to use each second and minute, speak to the player, speak to the Doc, speak to the physiotherapists and all that stuff. At the end, you have to make a decision and I will make a decision,” he concluded.
It is a relief to learn that the injury is not serious but with a crucial semi-final away clash against AS Roma next week, Klopp must avoid using Mane for the game against Stoke.
As things stand, our team is quite strong and facing Stoke without the Senegalese star would be a tad more manageable than facing Roma without him.
Ultimately, the decision rests with Klopp but for the rest of us, we must rejoice that Mane’s injury is not too serious. After all, he has played a crucial role for us this season. Linking up with the likes of Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah up front, Mane has helped us form a formidable front trio.
We have been fortunate enough to have tasted a lot of successes this season and none of that would have been possible without Mane’s contributions. Let’s hope he is fit for the Roma clash!
