“It has now been confirmed that he picked up an injury during that fixture that could keep him out of action for up to six weeks,” the statement said. Mane’s absence is a huge blow for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after the forward scored three goals in four Premier League appearances this season. The injury is especially badly timed for Klopp with Liverpool’s bitter rivals Manchester United visiting Anfield on Saturday. Liverpool are already seven points behind United in the Premier League and can’t afford to drop points against Jose Mourinho’s in-form United.
Sane’s value to Liverpool has been immense since his move from Southampton in 2016, but he has struggled to stay fit. He scored 13 Premier League goals last season despite missing the whole of January due to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Liverpool won just once in seven matches in all competitions during his time away with Senegal. Mane tore the meniscus in a knee during April’s Merseyside derby against Everton which prematurely ended his season and required surgery.
They coped better that time, with five wins, two draws and a defeat. Having worked hard to get back to fitness this term, Mane was sent off at Manchester City on September 9, resulting in a three-match ban. Since his debut in August 2016 Liverpool average 2.2 Premier League goals with Mane in the team, compared to 1.6 goals in his absence. Klopp has signed Mohamed Salah and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain since the end of last season to add more depth to his attacking options.
Egypt winger Salah has scored six in 11 games this season, making him the club’s leading scorer, but former Arsenal midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain has been less impressive so far.
Scottish FA say no rush over Strachan future
Scottish football chiefs said yesterday they will not rush into a decision over manager Gordon Strachan’s future despite yet another failure to qualify for a major international tournament. The Scotland boss is out of contract next month but is facing mounting pressure from fans to call time on his five-year reign after a draw with Slovenia on Sunday killed off their hopes of making it to next year’s World Cup in Russia.
Scotland boast a proud footballing tradition but are still waiting for a first major finals appearance since the 1998 World Cup in France. But with no competitive action in the diary until the new UEFA Nations League kicks off next September, Scottish Football Association chief Stewart Regan believes SFA bosses can take their time before deciding their next move.
A board meeting is understood to be planned for later this week but Regan said there would be no “knee-jerk” reaction.
Australia said to bar North Korean youth team
The Australian government has decided to bar a North Korean youth football team from playing in a tournament in the country in protest at Pyongyang’s nuclear programme, public broadcaster SBS reported.
“The government has decided to not allow the North Korean U19 soccer team to enter Australia for the Asian Football Confederation U19 Championship Qualifiers,” Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement.
“Hosting the team would be contrary to the government’s strong opposition to North Korea’s illegal nuclear and missile development programmes,” she said. “It would also be inconsistent with our efforts to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on Pyongyang to comply with UN Security Council resolutions.”
The North Korean youth team was due to play in Australia next month in the Asian Football Confederation championship qualifiers in a group that also included Australia, Hong Kong and the Northern Mariana Islands. A spokesman for Football Federation Australia said the qualifying fixtures were “now likely to be relocated outside Australia” because the government had refused to grant visas to the North Korean team.
Mbappe needs more games to shine for France, says Lloris
Teenage France star Kylian Mbappe simply needs more matches under his belt to start shining on the international stage, according to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Like the rest of his teammates, Mbappe failed to impress on Saturday in France’s crucial 1-0 win in Bulgaria that kept their World Cup destiny in their own hands.
Victory last night at home to minnows Belarus would secure their ticket to Russia 2018. And even though Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe struggled in Sofia, Tottenham’s Lloris believes he will come good. “He wasn’t inhibited at all, but he needs to string some France matches together,” said Lloris, the France captain. “It’s difficult to judge a player on his performance against Bulgaria. It was a battle, very tight. Kylian is still a young player, he has time to reach his objectives, even though, already at 18, he’s able to make the difference in big matches.”