Liverpool is marching towards capturing domestic glory, having lifted the Carabao Cup two weeks ago by defeating Chelsea in the final. They are leading the Premier League table, ahead of the current title holders, Manchester City, and the challengers, Arsenal. Additionally, they have progressed to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, is in his final season with the club and will depart at the end of the current campaign after nine years in charge. Their focus now shifts to Europe for the UEFA Europa League tie, with their talisman, Mo Salah, returning to the squad.
Mo Salah returns to Liverpool side from hamstring injury
Liverpool is set to resume their Europa League campaign with a midweek trip to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 first-leg fixture at the Epet Arena in Prague on Thursday. The Premier League side finished the group stages as table-toppers in Group E.
The Reds will be the clear favorites, coming off a league win with a 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest to stay at the summit of the league standings. Adding to their captivating run, the club has included the Egyptian international, Salah, in the traveling squad for the away clash.
The 31-year-old picked up a hamstring injury during his national team duty at the AFCON earlier this year, forcing him to return to Liverpool. Since then, he has been out of action, missing chunks of games for the Reds, with a single appearance against Brentford where he scored and assisted.
Mo Salah’s return could prove to be a significant boost for the Merseyside club as they continue their pursuit of trophies. Following the European fixture, they will be back in action against Manchester City, hosting the crucial top-of-the-table decider clash at Anfield in the Premier League this weekend.
Why is Mo Salah’s fitness troubling Liverpool and Egypt?
Premier League giants Liverpool and the Egypt Football Association have found themselves in a feud over Mo Salah. Egyptian team officials have claimed that they haven’t been able to contact the forward ever since he was sent back to England amid the AFCON campaign.
Reportedly, the Egypt FA wanted to assess the injury status of the 31-year-old at the national team’s medical facilities ahead of the March international break; however, they failed to establish any contact with the national team captain.
Meanwhile, Liverpool is concerned about Salah’s current injury, which has kept him in treatment for the past two months. The club is being cautious with their player, not rushing his return, and aims to avoid the prospects of a long-term injury.
Moreover, Liverpool requested the Egypt FA, via a written letter, to exempt Salah from participating in the upcoming international friendly fixtures against New Zealand, Croatia, and Tunisia later this month. However, the Egyptian officials have ignored the letter, escalating the row further.
Will Jurgen Klopp be able to bag another trophy before he parts ways with Liverpool? Make sure to tell us what you think in the comments section.
