December 16, (THEWILL) – When Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah depart for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) holding next month, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will not seek to replace them.
Although concerns about whether the event would even take place due to an increase in COVID-19 instances remain, AFCON organisers are confident in their ability to hold the championship, which will take place from January 9 to February 6.
This comes with the implication that if Liverpool players, who are going to be involved, including midfielder Naby Keita, progress far in the competition, they will be suspended for two Premier League games and could be suspended for longer if quarantine regulations are required upon their return.
Klopp has cautioned Liverpool fans that any interim replacements for Mane and Salah will be difficult to come by.
“We knew three would be qualified and be there and we knew that at least two of them will go pretty far in the tournament,” Klopp admitted.
“Can you be prepared for something like that, properly, perfectly? Like a one-for-one replacement for Sadio, a replacement for Mo, one replacement for Naby?
“That’s tricky in each situation but I am happy with the squad and we have options to play and still to play football. The thing is there are so many games coming up when we are still together – that is the most intense period now – but then we have a lot of games when Mo and Naby and Sadio are not here.
“That means we have to find line-ups for these games, even when we have cup competitions we have to find line-ups for these games as well, and that is the situation so you can never be perfectly prepared for this. We are quite confident we will find solutions.”
Klopp agreed that without Salah and Mane, Liverpool will be weaker, and that the teams set to meet them at that time, which are Brentford and Crystal Palace, will be relishing the opportunity to face the Reds without their strongest stars.
“Whoever will play in the period when the three boys are not here, will have a plan, and gives us a chance to win a football game,” he added.
“Can we play exactly the same kind of football? Probably not – but who cares? Then we play the football we are able to play then.
“You cannot always have the perfect solution. In this case we are far away from being the perfect solution without these players but we knew it and we now we have to deal with it.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
