Liverpool don't need Mane and Salah replacements due to AFCON - Klopp
Martin Macdonald
- 16 Dec 2021 04:46 CST
- 3 min read
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says the club will not actively look to replace Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita in the upcoming transfer window due to their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.
At the moment, Mane is scheduled to feature for Senegal, while Salah will represent Egypt and Keita will play for Guinea.
However, there are concerns that the tournament will even go ahead due to the increasing Covid infections caused by the new omicron variant.
Currently, organisers are assessing whether the Africa Cup of Nations will be safe to go ahead.
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If it does, Liverpool could be without that trio for as long as a both, leaving them short in midfield and especially in attack.
There has been speculation that the Reds could look to bring in reinforcements to soften the loss, but Klopp insists he has confidence in other players to step in.
What did Klopp say?
"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,' said Klopp.
"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 does concede that Liverpool may have to alter their playing style, however.
"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 now we have to deal with it."
