Mohamed Salah was stretchered off the pitch with a head injury late on into Liverpool’s 3-2 win at Newcastle, but Jurgen Klopp was more positive post-match than initially feared.
The Reds were drawing 2-2 at St James’ Park when a clash between Salah and Martin Dubravka left the Egyptian clutching his head in the penalty area.
Salah, who netted his 22nd league goal of the season in the first half, was carried off in tears – seemingly a cruel end to his campaign for a second successive season.
But while it remains likely Salah will miss the semi-final second leg against Barcelona on Tuesday night, speaking to Sky Sports after the game Klopp provided an optimistic update.
The 26-year-old watched the rest of the game in the dressing room, as his replacement Divock Origi headed a late winner, and will now be assessed before any further action is taken.
“We have to see, he got a proper knock on the head. He watched the game inside, it seems OK but we have to make a further assessment,” he said.
And in his post-match press conference, the boss explained: “The doc had to make a decision, on the pitch or off the pitch, and the decision was off the pitch.
“We accept it, of course. When we came in he was sitting in the dressing room and he was watching the game.
“He was then fine, but of course we have to wait. He got a proper knock, obviously.”
Crucially, Salah was not sent straight to hospital for tests, which could indicate that the concerns over his head injury are less than first feared.
But protocol remains that the forward could miss a week, which could see him sit out the clash with Barcelona but return for the final day of the Premier League against Wolves.
.@LFC manager Jürgen Klopp remains optimistic over @MoSalah’s fitness for @FCBarcelona – although it may be more in hope than expectation. “He was fine but of course we have to wait,” he said. Good to seem him walking out of St James’ Park comfortably at least pic.twitter.com/jodOFccwf9
— Carl Markham (@carlmarkham) May 4, 2019
Meanwhile, there are clear doubts over Roberto Firmino‘s involvement between now and the end of the campaign, after the Brazilian missed another game due to his muscle tear.
Klopp has confirmed the striker will be absent for the second leg against Barcelona and “we will see” for the game vs. Wolves next Sunday.
It seems as though Klopp could be left to decide between the likes of Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri and Daniel Sturridge for next weekend.
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