Jurgen Klopp impressed with Sadio Mane playing through the pain barrier

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been impressed with the way Sadio Mane has returned to the first-team hold after sustaining a broken thumb on international duty with Senegal. The attacker suffered the damage during training with the Teranga Lions and this saw him sit out the game against Sudan where the team sealed the berth for the 2019 African Cup of Nations.

Mane was thereafter left out of the Reds squad to face Huddersfield Town but he has since returned to action in sublime fashion by contributing three goals against Red Star Belgrade and Cardiff City. Speaking to reporters, Klopp admitted that he would not feel comfortable with the brace the player has been wearing but he is nevertheless pleased with the performance, he said: “He has a broken thumb and plays with a brace. I wouldn’t feel comfortable, to be honest but he obviously ignores it pretty well! His first goal he gets a goal and an assist! Very good performance. I’m completely happy with that.”

In the recent Premier League game against Cardiff City, Mane was one among the standout performers with Mohamed Salah on the playing field and he capped off the performance with a brace which sealed a comfortable 4-1 win at the end. With the result, the Reds have now jumped to the table but they could be leapfrogged by Manchester City on Monday, should they manage to overcome Tottenham Hotspur on the road.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp’s team do not have midweek action to worry about after their elimination from the League Cup and they can now focus on the crunch Premier League game at Arsenal next weekend. The Gunners have struggled against the Merseyside giants with no victories in each of the previous three campaigns and the Reds will be aiming to extend the streak next weekend as they seek to continue their title push.