Jurgen Klopp provides mixed update on Mo Salah fitness ahead of Man Utd clash

Jurgen Klopp provided a fitness update on Mo Salah, revealing the Liverpool forward is ready to start games once again.

Salah has not been included in a Liverpool starting lineup since the New Year's Day win over Newcastle, as a result of his involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt and subsequent hamstring injury.

The winger made his comeback with a second-half cameo against Brentford last month, but then was not available again until the Europa League last 16 first-leg win over Sparta Prague, following an aggravation of his injury.

Salah played 15 minutes of the 5-1 win in Prague, which was followed up by 30 minutes off the bench in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.

Speaking ahead of the second leg against Sparta Prague at Anfield on Thursday, Klopp insisted that Salah is now fit enough to be involved from the beginning of games once again.

"He's ready. He's top fit. Everything is good now and we don't have to deal with these kind of things anymore," Klopp said when asked of the 31-year-old status.

Focus on keeping Salah fit for the run-in

However, when later pressed on whether Salah is in contention for the full 90 minutes of the upcoming games, Klopp caveated his earlier statement.

He continued: "I'm not sure he's ready for 90 minutes, I'm not sure we should do 90 minutes, but he's ready to start. That's how it is.

"He would've been ready to start in the last game [vs Man City], but how long does it make sense [to keep him on for], and that's always the problem when players come back.

"It's not cool not to have him, but there's a game on Sunday and there are ten more Premier League games and hopefully a lot more cup and European games, stuff like this, so they are all as important.

"Mo can usually play game after game after game after game. Now, he was out for a surprisingly long time, but now he's back and now we have to make sure we can really count on him consistently again."

After Thursday's Europa League second leg, Liverpool travel to Manchester United on Sunday for the FA Cup quarter final.

That clash is followed by the March international break, which will allow Salah further opportunity for rest and recuperation, with the forward left out of Egypt's friendly tournament in the Middle East.