Liverpool are missing Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, admits Jurgen Klopp
- Michael Graham
- 14 January 2022
German worried by star duo's absence, but is confident his Liverpool side can find solutions.
Liverpool are missing star attacking duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, Jurgen Klopp conceded after the goalless draw with Arsenal.
Klopp's side hosted Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Thursday, and they failed to find a breakthrough despite playing against 10 men for more than an hour.
Salah and Mane are both away for a number of weeks at the African Cup of Nations, and naturally Klopp was asked to field questions on how that is impacting his side after being shut-out at Anfield for the first time this season.
"There isn't one team who wouldn't miss Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita," Klopp admitted.
"We've known that for years it could happen. Could we be better prepared for it? I don't think so.
"What they had tonight was a football problem and this team can solve that football problem, definitely."
Failing to punish Arsenal following a red card was the latest in a worrying pattern for Liverpool, with them now scoring just three times (two of them penalties) in 263 minutes of playing against 10 men this season.
He, though, says he is not unduly concerned about it.
"It looked like we were under pressure. That makes no sense but that is human," Klopp said.
"You go out there for winning. It's difficult against a well-drilled formation. We didn't create enough, we didn't do lots of things good enough.
"Then it was a red card and playing against the low block and it is difficult. On top of that we made a few wrong decisions.
"But in the end it's 0-0, half-time, let's go."
