Jurgen Klopp backs Mohamed Salah to use Afcon pain as fuel for success at Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp hopes Mohamed Salah can channel the massive disappointment of Egypt’s defeat in the African Cup of Nations to propel Liverpool’s challenge for glory on four fronts.

While Sadio Mane will miss Thursday's game against Leicester after taking part in Senegal’s celebrations, Salah’s Egypt lost Sunday’s final because of a penalty shootout in which the Premier League’s top scorer did not even get to take a spot kick.

Klopp is waiting to see how long it takes Salah to get over his heartbreak but while he thinks it is impossible for the forward to be more determined than he already was, he is encouraged by his side’s record of responding to anguish.

Salah went off injured in the 2018 Champions League final loss to Real Madrid and went on to score as they won the 2019 showpiece against Tottenham, before helping them lift the Premier League title the following season.

And the Liverpool manager said: “He is happy to be back but massively disappointed. It is always hard to lose a final but losing in the manner was especially hard. I hope today will be better but yesterday we could see he has the final in his mind.

“I am not sure it is human to have greater determination than Mo already had. The experience of playing a tournament, not knowing where it is going and then qualifying in the hardest possible manner for a final and playing an absolutely great final… that all helps in the long term but I don’t think there is a lot of space for more determination in Mo’s mind. He is very determined and we are the best example that when you lose a final it is very hard but when you use it for the next big game and the next tournament then it can be helpful.”

Egypt went to extra-time in all four knockout games in Cameroon and Klopp