Liverpool Forward Mohamed Salah in Contention to Play against Brentford on Saturday

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. (AFP)
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. (AFP)
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Liverpool Forward Mohamed Salah in Contention to Play against Brentford on Saturday

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. (AFP)
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. (AFP)

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah could play against Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday after recovering from a hamstring injury, manager Jurgen Klopp said.

The Egypt international has been out for a month since sustaining the injury at the Africa Cup of Nations.

“Mo is back in full training, that brings him automatically in contention of course,” Klopp said Friday.

Salah's return to fitness is a boost to Liverpool after injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Klopp dismissed suggestions that setbacks for those players could be attributed to them returning too soon after injury.

Alexander-Arnold is out of next week's League Cup final against Chelsea because of a recurrence of a knee problem in last weekend’s win against Burnley.

Thiago was out for around nine months with a hip injury and suffered a muscle problem 10 minutes into his comeback against Arsenal earlier this month.

Szoboszlai missed most of January with a hamstring problem. He is out again after hurting his hamstring.

Klopp insisted “we never forced anyone back and never will do.

"But we work in a high-performance area and if you have the same injury you are fit after three days and (for) another guy (it can be) after four weeks," Klopp said.

"We have to bring the boys back as soon as possible but never sooner than they are ready from our point of view.”



United Boss Ten Hag Concedes Liverpool Have Advantage of Mature Team

Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - August 24, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacts REUTERS/Tony O Brien/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - August 24, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacts REUTERS/Tony O Brien/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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United Boss Ten Hag Concedes Liverpool Have Advantage of Mature Team

Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - August 24, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacts REUTERS/Tony O Brien/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - August 24, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacts REUTERS/Tony O Brien/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Liverpool are a more mature side than Manchester United, with the advantage of a cohesive team of established players, United manager Erik ten Hag said ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash between the bitter rivals at Old Trafford.

"Liverpool are in a different phase of the life cycle," Ten Hag told reporters. "We are much more mixed and we have to build a new team."

United have not beaten Liverpool in the league since a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in August 2022 though Ten Hag's men did prevail 4-3 over former Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp's side to win the FA Cup last season, according to Reuters.

Liverpool finished third in the league last season, five places and 22 points ahead of United, but Ten Hag said his side could take heart from their performance in the cup final.

"We can always win, last year we won (in the FA cup) in the second part of the season," the Dutchman said.

"(Liverpool) are a team who are clear in the relationship among their players. It's what (new manager Arne Slot) has inherited. It was built over the last few years."

Slot and Ten Hag have faced each other in the past during their time working in the Dutch top flight, with little to chose between them on paper.

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Both managers have two wins apiece against each other in the Eridivisie, with Sunday's match at Old Trafford their first head-to-head meeting since March 2022.

Liverpool have made a solid start to the season under Slot, who became their first manager since Graeme Souness in 1991 to win his two opening league games in charge with Sunday's 2-0 victory over Brentford.

United, on the other hand, dropped their first points of the campaign when they were beaten 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion last Saturday.

"One of the reasons I came here is I knew beforehand it would be the most difficult thing I could ever do in my life, to come in (to) a club with a lot of problems," added Ten Hag, who took charge of United in April 2022.

"I inherited a history of six years and no trophy. We're still in transition. We have young players, academy players, and now we have to construct a team for the future."