Jurgen Klopp has suggested Mohamed Salah will be eased back into action slowly after being passed fit enough to play some part in Liverpool’s Europa League clash with Sparta Prague.
The Egyptian has been out of action with a hamstring strain which has caused him to miss games against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, Nottingham Forest, Southampton and Luton.
But he was spotted back in training on Wednesday and has travelled with the squad to the Czech Republic capital ahead of Thursday night’s last-16, first-leg clash.
While Klopp is delighted to have his top scorer back in contention to play, he intends to tread cautiously with the 31-year-old after his two recent spells on the sidelines.
Asked if Salah could feature against Sparta Prague after travelling with the squad, Klopp replied: ‘Yeah Mo travelled, he’s with us. He trained two days, full of energy. We have to see.
‘But it’s so good that he’s back, that’s really good for us.
‘And you can see in his face he’s very happy. Very unlucky situation being that long out, in for a moment at Brentford, played an incredible game there and then was out again. So that’s how it is.
‘We want to be careful, we have to be careful. But we are in the middle of a super intense period of the season, we need everybody.
‘So now let’s see how long we can use him and these kinds of things, that’s how it is with him and with others as well. Just good news.’
On whether Salah could play for Egypt in the upcoming international break later this month, Klopp added: ‘No, no, that’s nothing to do really [with me]. That will be decided on a different department, so it’s not… I’m nothing to do with that.
‘But I think let’s see how long he can play now. Like I said, only two days in team training.
‘In a different situation, players are not in the squad in this moment [after so little training] but in our situation it makes sense. What can we give him? How much can we use him? We’ll see that.
‘And then the two games with Egypt or whatever, it’s really not up to me or stuff like this. We are not really involved. That’s discussed in other departments, let me say it like that.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE : Thomas Tuchel open to returning to Chelsea this summer
MORE : Newcastle made audacious bid to sign Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, says Alan Shearer
MORE : Liverpool put together four-man shortlist in search for new sporting director