Liverpool boss hopes key man could return for Man City game + offers Jota update

Jurgen Klopp hopes Sadio Mane could return for Liverpool’s crucial game with Manchester City this weekend but Diogo Jota is still several weeks away from returning to fitness.

Mane missed the 3-1 win at West Ham last weekend due to a minor muscle injury and also sat out Liverpool’s shock 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Speaking after the game, Klopp confirmed the attacker was still unable to train on Wednesday but said Mane ‘might’ be available for the City game this weekend if he can prove his fitness over the coming days.

Jota has been on the sidelines since suffering a serious knee injury during Liverpool’s draw at FC Midtjylland in the group stages of the Champions League back in early December.

The club hoped he’d make a swift recovery after it was confirmed no surgery was required and Jota stepped-up his rehabilitation after being photographed taking part in individual training drills at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre this week.

It raised hopes that Jota could be close to returning to action, however, Klopp appears to have played down those expectations after saying the Portuguese international is still ‘two, three, four’ weeks away from returning to fitness.

Speaking after the defeat to Brighton last night, Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:

Diogo is – I don’t know exactly – a coupe of weeks, two, three, four. I’m not sure. And Sadio we will see. He might be available for the weekend, I don’t know. He didn’t train with the team today [Wednesday]. We will see.

Liverpool will be praying Mane is back for the Man City game this weekend as they struggled against Brighton last night and could certain do with the Senegal international’s quality when the league leaders come to Anfield on Sunday.

Alisson Becker also missed the defeat on Wednesday evening due to illness so Klopp will also be desperate for him to prove his fitness ahead of the City game as it would be a huge loss for Liverpool to be without their No.1 for such a vital match.

Klopp has been dealing with a crippling injury list in recent months and the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Fabinho and Naby Keita are set to join Jota on the sidelines once again this weekend.