Liverpool’s focus is immediately turning to the Europa League and the FA Cup following the draw with Manchester City, as Jurgen Klopp chases a quadruple in his final season as manager
Two days after their titanic clash with Manchester City, Liverpool are already preparing for another huge game this weekend.
The Reds will travel to Manchester United on Sunday in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, with boss Jurgen Klopp looking to win a quadruple in his final season in charge. Ahead of that game, the German has been handed a major injury boost.
Defender Ibrahima Konate is set to make his return from the treatment room in time to feature at Old Trafford. That welcome news comes as it was made clear Mohamed Salah is putting his full focus into Liverpool’s run-in.
And the Reds were also backed as they continue to express their anger at not being awarded a last-second penalty in the draw with City. Here, Mirror Football rounds up the latest Liverpool news.
Salah makes Egypt stance clear
Mohamed Salah will remain with Liverpool for the rest of the season after being left out of Egypt’s squad for the March international break. It has now been revealed that Salah pushed hard for that exemption.
The attacker was injured in the opening group game of the Africa Cup of Nations. He has only been fit enough for the bench in recent weeks, playing only 30 minutes of the clash with City on Sunday.
And it has now been claimed that he held talks with Egyptian sports minister Ashraf Sobhy in order to avoid a call-up this month. Sobhy spoke with boss Hosan Hassan to ensure that Salah was left out and will instead remain with Liverpool.
Reds backed in penalty dispute
Liverpool have been told they should have been awarded a penalty for this incident against Manchester City
Former top Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has insisted Liverpool should have been awarded a last-gasp penalty against Manchester City. Clattenburg criticsed the decision to allow Jeremy Doku to escape after kicking Alexis Mac Allister in the chest.
“Liverpool should have been awarded a stoppage-time penalty against Manchester City but this is the problem in the Premier League right now – referees are making mistakes in matches and not being helped by their VARs,” Clattenburg told the Daily Mail.
“Outside of the box, this would have resulted in a free-kick, every day of the week. Just because it happened inside the box does not suddenly transform it into a clean challenge when Mac Allister might be left playing connect the dots on his chest on Monday morning.”
Read Mark Clattenburg’s full thoughts on the penalty incident.
Klopp handed huge injury boost
Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Ibrahima Konate is set to play in the FA Cup against Manchester United on Sunday after missing the draw with City. Youngster Jarrell Quansah instead took the Frenchman’s place on Sunday.
Konate had been forced off injured during the hammering of Sparta Prague last week. But Klopp is now confident that the defender will be able to make a quick return to action ahead of the visit to United.
“Ibou has a chance for United – a good chance,” he said. “Our injury situation is still awful. There are many players not available, it is crazy. If we were to play only the players who were not available today, that would have been as good a team as [this] one.”
