Klopp confirmed after Liverpool’s 4-0 win over AFC Bournemouth that Salah is likely to return to Merseyside from the Ivory Coast to be assessed by the club’s own medical staff.
The way this Liverpool side have dealt not just with the absence of talisman Mo Salah but several other key players in recent games should provide further belief that they have what it takes to win the Premier League title this season.
Klopp confirmed after Liverpool’s 4-0 win over AFC Bournemouth that Salah is likely to return to Merseyside from the Ivory Coast, where he is competing at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, to be assessed by the club’s own medical staff after the winger was forced off in the 2-2 draw with Ghana with what looked to be a hamstring injury.
But Klopp’s defiant Reds side are continuing to prove that they have the depth and talent to cope without him, and several other key players too, after hammering Bournemouth thanks to second-half doubles from both Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez.
It is a victory which gives them valuable breathing room over their closest title rivals Manchester City, who now sit five points behind Liverpool but with a game in hand.
“In the moment we find rhythm, we are strong,” Klopp said.
“It looks really, really good. But without rhythm, probably no one is strong, and we as well.
“We should start games better but it’s about 98 minutes today. It’s about winning the games in the end and as long as you stay in the game, pretty much everything that happens in the game is allowed.
“We don’t have to perform 98 minutes at absolutely top level, that’s pretty rare, and step by step we found our way in the game and we won it.
Salah was by far from the only notable absentee in their win over the Cherries. Wataru Endo also has international team obligations at the Asian Cup with Japan while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Andy Robertson, Thiago and several others were missing through injury.
Liverpool continuing to find a way to win despite not being at their best over the entirety of games is all the more crucial considering not just their own absences, but the fact City are soon set to reunite last season’s deadly duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, who have not played in the Premier League together since the opening day of the season.
“In general we just started playing better, the midfield as well,” Klopp said of his side’s second-half showing.
“That’s important. I’m not 100% which goal it was we scored where we won the ball back but that would not have happened in the first half, I’m pretty sure, because we didn’t push up.
“It was a super deserved win which didn’t look like that for a long time in the first half.”
If Klopp could have picked any of his players to open the scoring, it would probably be the much talked about Nunez, who his manager recently claimed could “cannot be more unlucky” when it came to his finishing of chances.
Liverpool continuing to find a way to win despite not being at their best over the entirety of games is all the more crucial considering not just their own absences, but the fact City are soon set to reunite last season’s deadly duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, who have not played in the Premier League together since the opening day of the season.
“In general we just started playing better, the midfield as well,” Klopp said of his side’s second-half showing.
“That’s important. I’m not 100% which goal it was we scored where we won the ball back but that would not have happened in the first half, I’m pretty sure, because we didn’t push up.
“It was a super deserved win which didn’t look like that for a long time in the first half.”
If Klopp could have picked any of his players to open the scoring, it would probably be the much talked about Nunez, who his manager recently claimed could “cannot be more unlucky” when it came to his finishing of chances.
Liverpool continuing to find a way to win despite not being at their best over the entirety of games is all the more crucial considering not just their own absences, but the fact City are soon set to reunite last season’s deadly duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, who have not played in the Premier League together since the opening day of the season.
“In general we just started playing better, the midfield as well,” Klopp said of his side’s second-half showing.
“That’s important. I’m not 100% which goal it was we scored where we won the ball back but that would not have happened in the first half, I’m pretty sure, because we didn’t push up.
“It was a super deserved win which didn’t look like that for a long time in the first half.”
If Klopp could have picked any of his players to open the scoring, it would probably be the much talked about Nunez, who his manager recently claimed could “cannot be more unlucky” when it came to his finishing of chances.
Liverpool continuing to find a way to win despite not being at their best over the entirety of games is all the more crucial considering not just their own absences, but the fact City are soon set to reunite last season’s deadly duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, who have not played in the Premier League together since the opening day of the season.
“In general we just started playing better, the midfield as well,” Klopp said of his side’s second-half showing.
“That’s important. I’m not 100% which goal it was we scored where we won the ball back but that would not have happened in the first half, I’m pretty sure, because we didn’t push up.
“It was a super deserved win which didn’t look like that for a long time in the first half.”
If Klopp could have picked any of his players to open the scoring, it would probably be the much talked about Nunez, who his manager recently claimed could “cannot be more unlucky” when it came to his finishing of chances.
He had no such bad luck with his opening strike, beautifully curling into the bottom right corner at the start of the second half after some fine build-up play had seen man of the match Jota expertly feed him inside the box to slot home.
Liverpool might be without many of their starting 11 at the moment but having Portuguese international Jota back from injury is a huge boost for Klopp, and he brilliantly smashed beyond Neto at his near post after being played in down the right by substitute Cody Gakpo to double his team’s lead.
Jota then added his second and his side’s third of a superb second-half showing with just over ten minutes to go. The impressive young Conor Bradley had picked him out with a low cross into the box and after making a mess of his first attempt, regained his composure to fire beyond Neto and put the game out of sight for the home side.
Nunez was the target of plenty of jeers from the home support, which is not uncommon for the Uruguayan striker when he travels away, but he has become a hero among his own supporters despite his often frustrating wastefulness in front of goal.
But the chanting of his name from the away end after he added a fourth for his side in added time, sliding in to finish Joe Gomez’s excellent cross, proved what the 24-year-old is capable of when he is on his game, and was followed by a chorus of “Liverpool, top of the league”.
And based on their latest showing, there is every reason to believe they can stay there come the end of the season.
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