MANCHESTER: Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has not recovered from an ankle injury in time to face Manchester United on Sunday, but goalkeeper Alisson Becker is fit to make his first appearance since the opening weekend of the season.
Salah hobbled off late on in the European champions’ 2-1 victory over Leicester two weeks ago, but Jurgen Klopp is hopeful he can return for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Genk.
“Mo was not ready,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “He could not train with the team.
“Pretty much (he had) no chance for today but maybe for Wednesday we will see.”
Alisson has recovered from a calf injury to take his place in goal and United also received a huge injury boost with the news that David de Gea is fit to start.
De Gea pulled up with a muscle injury in Spain’s 1-1 draw in Sweden on Tuesday, but has made a remarkable recovery to keep goal as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer changed his formation to a 3-5-2.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka also returns from injury to start at right wing-back, but Anthony Martial is only fit enough for a place on the bench.
Liverpool are aiming to restore their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League with an 18th straight league win, while United kick off just one point above the relegation zone in 14th.
Mohamed Salah misses Liverpool trip to Man Utd, Alisson Becker returns
Mohamed Salah misses Liverpool trip to Man Utd, Alisson Becker returns
- “Mo was not ready,” Klopp told Sky Sports.
- Alisson has recovered from a calf injury to take his place in goal
Lovesick Blues looking for better showing in Riyadh Dirt Sprint
- Having finished sixth in Breeders’ Cup, the sprinter goes again for trainer Librado Barocio
RIYADH: Mia Familia Racing Stable’s hard-knocking American sprinter Lovesick Blues (US) will bid to atone for a luckless Breeders’ Cup run in Saturday’s group two $2-million Riyadh Dirt Sprint Presented by Saudi National Bank.
Trainer Librado Barocio’s grey son of Grazen is part of a formidable US trio for the race that includes group two Santa Anita Sprint Championship winner Imagination (US) and group three Elite Power Stakes winner Just Beat the Odds (US).
The nine-time winner from 43 starts was last seen finishing sixth in the group one Breeders’ Cup Sprint after a tough trip.
“After the Breeders’ Cup I was always dreaming of coming to places like Saudi Arabia and Dubai,” Barocio said.
“He got a really bad trip in the Breeders’ Cup. He got squeezed and was left like 10 lengths behind, but then he started really closing. Unfortunately, then he couldn’t find room.
“He had to keep going inside and outside of horses down the stretch and in the end gets beat by about six lengths for the whole thing. He came back after the race and he was mad.
“After the Breeders’ Cup I said, ‘you know what, let’s focus on the big races and see what he can do,’ and that’s what we’re doing. He’s got an attitude, which I like, and he has his quirks. You just have to know him and I know he’s doing great.”
Lovesick Blues continued his preparation with a proper leg-stretcher around the King Abdulaziz Racecourse dirt track on Sunday morning with exercise rider Danny Ramsey in the saddle.
“I’m excited and was happy with that,” Barocio said.
“I like to give him a little open gallop for a couple furlongs to give him a feel for the track and let his muscles get loose. I like the way he did that and I like that he was on his toes coming off the track. He’s something else. All signs point to a great day, hopefully, so far.”
Climbing his way up gradually from the claiming ranks, though the allowance conditions, and ultimately becoming an earner of $830,000, it now seems that Lovesick Blues is at his peak at age 8.
“He’s ready to go,” Barocio said. “I won’t do much more with him. He will have a couple of easy days and jog on the training track, then come to the main track another day, then jog on the small track the day before the race.
“Before coming here, he had some really good works and I think I have him ready. Danny said he’s really liking the track, so all we can do is pray at this point and keep dreaming.”
