Klopp reveals why Salah didn't start against Man City

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says Mohamed Salah never had any chance of starting the crucial Premier League match against Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday. 

The Egyptian forward was sidelined back in January having suffered a torn hamstring during the Africa Cup of Nations for his country. 

The 31-year-old attempted a quick comeback, playing in a Premier League game against Brentford in mid-February, but broke down and suffered a relapse which caused him to miss even more games. 

Salah was back in action on Thursday night during the Europa League last-16, first-leg tie at Sparta Prague, leading to fan hopes that the top scorer would be fit for the title showdown on Sunday afternoon. 

However, when it came time to name his XI, Klopp opted for Harvey Elliott on the right wing with Salah only being named among the substitutes. 

The ex-Roma star has only featured twice for the Reds since New Year’s Day, with both appearances coming off the bench as he seeks a full recovery from his injury. 

Egypt declined to name Salah in their squad for their upcoming friendly tournament in the United Arab Emirates during the forthcoming international break. 

Despite missing so much football in 2024, Salah is still Liverpool’s top scorer this season, with 15 in the Premier League and 19 overall. 

“We didn’t even think about him starting the game,” Klopp told Sky Sports. 

“There are things in life you can learn from, and the last time Mo came back a bit early and was unlucky that he got a little setback. 

"But we spoke about that with Mo as well. It was not his idea or my idea to start him today. It will be an intense game and we can bring him on, which is super cool, but no it was not a big decision."

Liverpool are in the grip of an unrelenting injury crisis with top stars like Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota all still absent.