Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s stance on attending public gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic is at odds with Mohamed Salah’s and he has spoken to the forward about his positive coronavirus test while back home in Egypt.
Salah is flying back to England via a specially-commissioned private jet on Friday a week after being diagnosed with coronavirus while on international duty but will not be available for Sunday’s visit of Premier League leaders Leicester.
During his time in his homeland Salah was pictured at his brother’s wedding and while Klopp did not publicly criticise his 10-goal forward he said he had personally adopted a more cautious approach to social events.
“There is absolutely nothing to say in public about the things I talk to my players about,” said Klopp.
“What I can tell you I was in the summer in Germany, a friend moved his birthday party only because of me.
“Fifty people attended there and I decided at the last minute not to go – and that was only a birthday party and it was allowed in Germany. It was outside but I didn’t go.
“That is only one situation. In other situations there is more social pressure on you and a brother’s wedding is a very special moment.
“What I can say about my players is they are incredibly disciplined. All players are incredibly disciplined; there were some cases of course, but they really know about the situation.
“Sometimes it doesn’t work out like this and something happens and now we are in the situation we are in.
“All the rest is between Mo and me – we have done that already. We are fine.”
Salah’s absence adds to the growing list of players currently unavailable to Klopp.
The latest additions are Joe Gomez (knee) and Jordan Henderson (thigh) who were both injured on England duty, the former seemingly out for the season after surgery on a ruptured knee tendon.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (calf) will not face Leicester while Klopp is waiting to see whether Fabinho is fit enough having rejoined training this week after missing three matches with a hamstring problem.
He also has doubts over fellow defenders Rhys Williams and Neco Williams, while midfielder Thiago Alcantara has still not recovered from a knee injury sustained over a month ago.
It takes the number of players potentially unavailable to 10 but Klopp insists there is little point in complaining.
“You take it game by game. I’ve not had exactly the same injury situation but similar,” he added.
“There is no season when you have no problems with injuries, in our situation it is slightly different as we have a lot of players in the same position seriously injured and that makes it more concentrated but no one feels self-pity, we don’t feel sorry for ourselves.
“In the moment you get information that is the moment when it hits you but a minute later you are already in the solution.
“We will fight with all we have and that means if the problem becomes bigger you get closer to each other.
“If someone thinks we will give up before the game because some of our best and very important players are unavailable for a long time then I cannot help him.
“We have to accept the situation and use the situation.”
