“He’s ready” – Klopp’s encouraging update as Sparta Prague come back into view

Liverpool take on Sparta Prague at Anfield on Thursday in a game which should be a formality for the Reds, though it does offer Mo Salah the opportunity to get some more minutes under his belt as he aims to get back to full fitness ahead of the business end of the season.

The Egyptian King managed a 16 minute cameo in the first leg, and he showed against Man City at the weekend that his sharpness has already returned despite a few weeks off.

Liverpool injury news: Mo Salah ready to start says Klopp

During his press conference for the match, attended by various media including representatives from CaughtOffside, Jurgen Klopp announced that Salah will play, but the question mark remained as to how long that would be for.

“He is ready. He is top fit, everything is good now and we don’t have to deal with these kind of things anymore,” the German said.

“I’m not sure if he is ready for 90 minutes and I’m not sure we should do 90 minutes, but he’s ready to start so that’s how it is.

“He would have been ready to start in the last game but then you don’t know for how long it makes sense and that’s always the problem when players come back. I can’t remember a game where I thought, ‘Mo Salah cannot play, no problem.’

“It just never happened, so it’s not cool to not have him but there was a game last Sunday and there are 10 more Premier League games and hopefully a lot more cup and European games. They are all as important and Mo was completely fine with that.

“Would he have loved to play a little bit longer? Probably, yes, but I cannot before the game decide when we do what and these kind of things. But he’s ready to start.”

At 5-1 up from the first encounter, there’s no real need for Liverpool to give Salah anything other than a short run out.

There are far more important games on the horizon, not least the FA Cup quarter-final against Man United on Sunday, and then a repeat at Old Trafford in the league three weeks later.

Were Salah not able to make either of those games because he’d done a little too much in what’s effectively a ‘dead rubber’ with respect, won’t go down well with the Anfield faithful.