Salah set for Liverpool return after Africa Cup of Nations heartbreak

Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah looks on during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on November 27, 2021. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

Mohamed Salah could play for Liverpool against Leicester on Thursday after his Africa Cup of Nations heartbreak but Sadio Mane will not be available after returning to Senegal to celebrate his team’s victory

Senegal beat Egypt on penalties after Sunday’s final in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde finished goalless, with Mane scoring the decisive spot-kick in a match that pitted Liverpool’s two star forwards against each other.

Salah returned to Liverpool’s training centre on Tuesday and will be assessed by medical staff ahead of the game against mid-table Leicester.

“Mo is now back, I spoke already to him,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com. “He is very disappointed of course, but looking forward to all the things coming up here now.

“I spoke to him and pretty much the first thing Mo told me was: ‘I’m ready’.

“He is an experienced player, he is a physical monster, to be honest, so we have to see. He will obviously have a little recovery session today and we will see how he feels tomorrow and from there we go.

“The proper plan we don’t have, play him as often and as long as possible is probably the plan, but we will not rush it. But if he is fine we will not leave him out for the wrong reasons as well, so let’s see.”

Klopp, whose side are second in the Premier League, said Mane was expected to arrive back in Liverpool on Thursday so would not be involved in the Leicester game.

“It (the cup win) means the world to him, it means the world to his people, it means the world to Senegal and we respect that a lot and we