LIVERPOOL MANAGER JURGEN Klopp played down fears of more injury woe for Mohamed Salah after the forward failed to complete all 90 minutes of Sunday’s agonising victory over Tottenham.
The table-topping Reds were forced to dig deep in order to take a 2-1 win against Mauricio Pochettino’s men at Anfield.
Harry Kane put the visitors into the lead less than a minute after kick-off, and Liverpool were repeatedly frustrated by the inspirational Paulo Gazzaniga.
It took Jordan Henderson to finally level following the half-time break, before Salah stepped up to put his side into the lead from the penalty spot following Serge Aurier’s foul on Sadio Mane.
Salah made little further impact on the game, though, as in the final minutes the forward experienced discomfort with his ankle.
Liverpool medics administered treatment but it proved the end of Salah’s afternoon, as he was taken off by Klopp for Joe Gomez.
The striker was able to leave the pitch without limping and, after the final whistle, his manager moved to dispel concerns of further fitness problems.
“It’s not a massive issue,” the German told Sky Sports , while acknowledging that a “sore ankle” had prompted Salah’s withdrawal.
“Virgil [van Dijk] got a dead leg. Mo is the same ankle, it just gets sore the longer the game goes on.
“It’s not a massive issue, that will disappear one day, but it’s still a bit there at the moment.”
This is not the first time this season that Salah has struggled with an ankle problem.
An injury suffered at the start of October kept him out of action for a fortnight, meaning that he missed Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United last Sunday – still the only time the Reds have dropped points so far in the Premier League this season.
Liverpool will hope that their star forward receives a clean bill of health and does not miss any further action, with a host of key domestic and Champions League fixtures looming on the horizon for Klopp’s charges.
The Reds are at home to Arsenal in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, then head to Aston Villa in the league before Genk make the trip to Anfield for the return meeting in the Champions League.
