LONDON: Jurgen Klopp insisted his players have been “incredibly disciplined” with coronavirus restrictions despite Mohamed Salah testing positive after attending his brother’s wedding in Egypt.
Salah was pictured dancing at the celebration without a mask on while back in his homeland during the international break.
Klopp confirmed Liverpool’s top scorer this season is asymptomatic and could return to England on Friday, but Salah will miss Sunday’s Premier League clash against Leicester.
“He is probably back today, that’s what I’ve heard. We are in close contact with him all of the time,” said Klopp.
“At the moment he is in a good place, he feels well, no symptoms, that’s all fine.”
Klopp said he had to resist the temptation to attend a birthday party when home in Germany over the summer and understands why Salah had to attend the wedding.
“In other countries, in other situations, there is more social pressure on you and a brother’s wedding is a very special moment,” he added.
“What I can say about my players is they are incredibly disciplined. Football players in general were incredibly disciplined.
“There were some cases of course, but they really know about the situation.”
Salah’s absence is just the latest blow for Klopp as he tries to patch together a team to face top-of-the-table Leicester.
Liverpool’s defense has been decimated by injury with center-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez expected to miss the rest of the season with serious knee injuries.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will be out for another two weeks due to a calf problem, while captain Jordan Henderson will also miss Sunday’s clash due to a muscle problem.
“There is no season when you have no problem with injuries,” said Klopp.
“In our situation it is slightly different where a lot of players in the same position get injured and seriously injured, that makes it tricky, but no one feels any kind of self-pity or feels sorry for ourselves.
“As long as we have 11 players available we will fight for the three points and we will.
“We have the situation we have. We don’t like it because it’s really hard for the boys that have the injuries but the rest is about working on solutions.
“Whoever deals best with the problems in front of them has the chance to be really successful.”
Klopp sympathetic over ‘social pressure’ on Salah
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Klopp sympathetic over ‘social pressure’ on Salah
- Jurgen Klopp’s squad ravaged by injury as Premier League returns after the international break
Mhally lands Saudi Cup start
- 2000 Guineas winner shines in The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup
RIYADH: Last year’s winner of the 2000 Guineas, Mhally (GB), stepped up to the mark 12 months later to earn a place in the 2026 Saudi Cup with victory under in-form Ricardo Ferreira in the Group 3 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.
The success in the $400,000 feature at King Abdulaziz Racecourse was part of a Ferreira four-timer and capped a terrific day for the rider who, along with trainer Thamer Al-Daihani and owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Al-Malek Al-Sabah, also won the 2000 Guineas again, this time with Al-Haram (IRE).
Mhally progressed from his 2000 Guineas success to be third on Saudi Cup night in the Derby in 2025 and will be back again this time in the main $20 million event on Feb. 14 after proving his stamina in the qualifier over 1800m.
There were four in with a chance halfway down the home stretch, but Mhally knows where the winning post is at King Abdulaziz and found more when required to deny last year’s US winning rider, Joel Rosario, aboard Ameerat Al-Zamaan (GB) by three-quarters of a length.
And the owner-trainer-jockey combination could have another superstar on their hands, given Al Haram’s devastating success in the $124,000 2000 Guineas sponsored by J Event.
The 3-year-old had won both of his previous starts over the 1600m trip but took his form to a new level to qualify for the $1.5 million G3 Saudi Derby.
Al-Haram was slightly slow away and found himself at the rear of the field, leaving himself with a huge task ahead, but he found generously for pressure and surged through the field to win in monstrous fashion by seven-and-a-quarter lengths.
Maestro Du Croate (FR) ran well to be third last week and got off the mark at the seventh attempt under Camilo Ospina to take the $44,000 G3 Al-Diriyah Cup sponsored by STC.
Nijinski Al Maury (FR) looked to be going best turning in, but the Bassim Al-Mousa-trained 4-year-old found more under an inspired Ospina, and after an almighty tussle, collected by one length to qualify for the $2 million G1 Obaiya Arabian Classic.
Ospina also took the $44,000 Riyadh Dirt Sprint Qualifier sponsored by Nova as his Min Shan (KSA) led home a one-two for the White Stable of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Sons.
Over three lengths separated Min Shan from the Mickael Barzalona-ridden Jeddah Beach (USA) at the line, with the winner completing a hat-trick over the 1200m trip to land a gate in the $2 million G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
One of Ferreira’s other winners came as Thayaf (KSA) maintained his unbeaten record with a fourth career victory in the domestic G1 King Abdulaziz Cup, while Christophe Soumillon landed back-to-back wins aboard Wanaameen (KSA) as they followed up last month’s success in the domestic G1 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.
