Liverpool will today hold an open training session ahead of their Europa League clash at Sparta Prague, where squad clues for Sunday’s massive Premier League match with Manchester City could be dropped
Liverpool return to Europa League action on Thursday as they travel to Sparta Prague with Jurgen Klopp’s squad continuing to navigate an injury crisis.
The Reds were left without as many as 14 first-team players last month, though the list of absentees had mercifully reduced to 10 players when they clinched a 1-0 win away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The presence of the returning Darwin Nunez, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Andy Robertson was very much a welcome sight at the City Ground.
Klopp’s ranks could be bolstered further ahead of travelling to the Czech Republic, with the German admitting last week that he hoped Mohamed Salah was on the verge of a return.
“I don’t think Mo is too far off, but he will not feature tomorrow,” Klopp said on Friday, ahead of facing Forest. “From there, we have to go. It’s like what we said with the other two. Touch and go, unfortunately that stays the case with Mo for a little bit longer.
“But I think next week, at any point, it is possible. So he is on the way back, definitely, but not there yet.”
Liverpool will take part in an open training session at the AXA Training Centre from 12.30pm on Wednesday, before travelling to Prague. Upon arrival, Klopp and one member of his squad will face the media at Stadion Letna at 7pm.
Given the ongoing injury woes the Reds have suffered, supporters’ eyes will be glued to live streams of the open training session in hope of being greeted by the sight of a returning Salah. They won’t be the only ones though, of course, ahead of Sunday’s top-of-the-table Premier League meeting with Man City at Anfield. With the Egyptian a regular tormentor of Pep Guardiola’s side, they will be following his possible involvement with great interest.
At the very least, those of a Liverpool persuasion will have everything crossed that Klopp’s ranks, even if still without Salah, have avoided anymore absentees ahead of the German offering his latest injury update on Wednesday evening.
After all, with that City clash looming, Sparta Prague is virtually an afterthought in the minds of Reds supporters. While they’ll want to see their side claim a first leg win on the continent in the round-of-16, Liverpool’s priority is arguably just returning home injury-free.
While Salah is perhaps well-placed to return in time to face City at least, no more of the cavalry are poised to return anytime soon. Curtis Jones could potentially make a comeback on the eve of the March international break, but the majority of the rest of the Reds’ walking wounded aren’t expected back until next month at the earliest.
This includes goalkeeper Alisson Becker, with Klopp confirming on Friday that, while the Brazilian had not been ruled out for the season, he would not return anytime soon.
“There is no real timescale on it, but it is a proper muscle injury,” Klopp said. “Different players recover differently. That is it pretty much. It is not a short one.
“It is not that he will be in contention for next week or something like that. We have to wait a few more weeks, definitely, for him. He is working in the gym, not on the pitch, it is a rather serious one but not a season-ending injury.”
