Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Mohamed Salah, the club’s star player, will be starting in the Europa League round of 16 second-leg match against Sparta Prague on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
Salah’s last professional game for Liverpool was on January 1, before he went to the 2023 AFCON with Egypt and got injured. He had to come back to England for treatment at Liverpool’s training center.
Salah made his return to the field on February 17, 2023, as a substitute in Liverpool’s 4-1 victory over Brentford. However, he missed the next four games due to fitness concerns.
In the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 on March 7, Klopp gave Salah 16 minutes of playing time. Liverpool won the game 5-1.
Looking ahead to the return leg of the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday, March 14 at 9 p.m., Klopp stated: “It’s super important we build up Mo; he’s ready, top fit.
“I’m not sure he’s ready for 90 minutes, I’m not sure we should do 90 minutes, but he’s ready to start.
“He would’ve been ready to start the last game [the 1-1 draw with Manchester City], but you don’t know how long it would’ve made sense for and that’s always the problem when players come back.
“There are 10 more Premier League games and hopefully more European and cup games, and they are as important.
“Mo usually can play game after game, now he was out for a surprisingly long time. He’s back and we have to make sure we can really count on him consistently.”
