‘We have solutions’ – Klopp insists Liverpool ‘will deal’ with Salah’s AFCON absence

Updated 29/12/2023 at 14:53 GMT

Liverpool “will deal” with the absence of Mo Salah during the Africa Cup of Nations, manager Jurgen Klopp has said. Salah could miss at least seven of Liverpool’s upcoming matches if Egypt go far at the tournament in Ivory Coast, while Wataru Endo could also be away for a similar period if Japan succeed at the Asia Cup. Klopp has insisted Liverpool has “solutions” for the absences.

‘We have solutions’ – Klopp on Salah as AFCON exit looms

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted his team “will deal” with Mo Salah’s absence during the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah will play in Liverpool’s New Year’s Day encounter against Newcastle, before meeting up with Egypt for next month’s tournament in Ivory Coast.

If Egypt repeat their performance from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and reach the final, Salah could miss at least seven of Liverpool’s upcoming matches.

Klopp reassured fans that he did have a “solution” to Salah’s absence, but was reluctant to outline his plan before the match against Newcastle in case his team suffered any more injuries.

“Each long-term plan I could have had depends massively on who is available,” he told reporters.

“So why should I think in October who I can use when Mo is away, when I have no clue who is available?

“We have solutions today and I hope we have that after Newcastle as well. It is not the first time, it is a really very average situation that you lose your goal scorer. But we had it even worse in the past when both Sadio [Mane] and Mo left.

“We always came through it. Traditionally at least one of them went far in the tournament at least, which makes it even worse.”

Mohamed Salah

Image credit: Getty Images

Liverpool will also lose Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo to the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Qatar from January 12 to February 10.

“We have to get through this,” Klopp said. “We know the Africa Cup of Nations appears and Mo has to go, and so we have to deal with it, that was always clear.

“Now with Endo we have a participant of the Asian Cup as well. We knew it and now we have to deal with it, and we will.”

Klopp said he was “six-times happier” than this time last season, when his team were sixth in the table.

But he highlighted Liverpool’s injury crisis as a potential obstacle to continued success this season.

Alexis Mac Allister is still out with a knee injury, while left-backs Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson are both on the sidelines with upper-body injuries.

“This team is in the middle of something and we just try to make the best of it,” Klopp said.

“We speak about injuries other teams have. We had a lot [too]. Both left backs are not [fit], which is really not good but so far we found a way to get into the next game and compete in it.”

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