Liverpool to make late call on Mohamed Salah's fitness ahead of Manchester City Champions League quarter final
Salah was brought off during the second half of last week’s first-leg with a groin problem
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool will decide on Tuesday whether Mohamed Salah is fit to play in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City.
Salah, who has scored 38 goals in all competitions this season, was brought off during the second half of last week’s 3-0 first-leg win at Anfield with a groin problem.
Though the Egyptian was walking freely after the final whistle, he sat out of Saturday’s Merseyside derby as a precaution and remains a slight doubt.
Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, said on Monday that Salah was more of a ‘yes’ than a ‘no’ for the trip to the Etihad, though his availability will only be confirmed on the day of the game.
“Not sure 100 per cent,” he said when asked whether Salah would be available. ”He was yesterday training with the athletic coach. Now I am here, at five o’clock we train at Melwood and we will see.
“I would say rather yes than no, but then we have to wait for the reaction tomorrow and we will make a decision.”
Liverpool have no need to chase the game on Tuesday night but will hope that their top scorer is fit to play all the same.
Just one goal for Klopp’s side will mean that City need five of their own to progress, though the Liverpool manager dismissed the suggestion that his team are ‘favourites’.
“I am not interested in these kinds of labels,” he said. “It is common sense to say when we play in Champions League against the winner of the Premier League that you are not the favourite. That’s how it was last week.
“For me the whole game is about the two legs. As it always is in football, you have to score goals and at the end when the final whistle [goes], then you have won the game.
“We are only in the lead. It was better than what I expected but you all know there is still a lot of work to do. We are not thinking about who is favourite. It is all about going into the next round.”
Klopp also dismissed any suggestion that City might be vulnerable at present, despite Pep Guardiola’s side following the first-leg loss at Anfield with a 3-2 defeat in the Manchester derby on Saturday.
“I didn’t think anything like that. When we lost here 5-0 in the beginning of the season, everybody saw the quality of City, even when we were one man down,” he said.
“I don’t think Barcelona think they are already through against Roma (whom they lead 4-1) because that is football, you have always the chance to respond and to strike back.
“City has the chance to. Most of the people think Liverpool will go through but will lose the game. We have the chance to win.”
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