Liverpool had their last training session on Monday before flying to Portugal for their Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie with Benfica. During the training, the British media summarized five things worth noting:
Arnold escalates his offensive
Injury during the international break has left the Liverpool prince on the bench against Watford. As a result, Joe Gomez appeared at right-back and provided the assist for Jota’s opener.
The Reds are of course still hoping for Arnold to be fit in the starting line-up in Lisbon, after all he has been one of their best players this season. In training, there are positive signs of his injury, but whether he can start the game may not be decided until the moment before the game.
Salah ready to bounce back
Salah seemed to have a hangover on the international break. In the match against Watford, the Red Army’s No. 1 killer was unusually calm, like a fringe figure, not really involved in the game. It is widely believed that the Egyptian star’s unhealed heartbreak after Senegal, who watched Mane win a World Cup ticket, made him look unthreatening on the pitch. Salah was substituted by Mane again in this league game and left looking rather down.
But on Monday morning in Melwood, he was all smiles back. Liverpool need him back to his best because he’s a very important player, especially given that the Reds will be playing decisive games from now until the end of the season, and the first of these is the Champions League game against Benfica.
Jota’s new height
Jota suffered an ankle injury in February that has hampered his “superb” performance this season, when in fact he could have done it.
The Portuguese star scored his 20th goal of the season in all competitions against Watford, joining Tottenham’s South Korea’s Son Heung-min for second in the Premier League’s top scorers, with teammate Salah the only one The man who scored more goals than him.
The Reds will be heading to his home country to fight this week and they will definitely need a little bit of magic from him. The little man’s header machine looked dynamic in training, and it seemed he could lock up a starting spot on Tuesday night.
Keita injury update
Naby Keita is out of the national team due to a knee problem, and he was also out of the squad for Watford, but has a chance to catch up with Benfica.
The midfielder attended training on Monday, suggesting he is on the verge of a return, but it remains to be seen whether he will be ready on Tuesday. Keita is not a regular in Liverpool’s starting 11, but his presence can bring something different to the Reds compared to the rest of Klopp’s midfield. If he is fit, he could be a useful asset for the German in Lisbon.
Klopp is all smiles
Liverpool faced such a huge amount of performance pressure in the final stretch of the season, but that didn’t seem to bother the players or their manager. They looked very relaxed in training on Monday, and Klopp’s request for the entire squad to adopt a “only focus on the next game” mentality seems to be working.
At the beginning of the new year, it was considered impossible for Liverpool to challenge Manchester City in the standings, but this is happening now, and it is not known who will die.
What is even more rare is that in the Champions League game, and in the FA Cup game, the Red Army Blue Moon is also in the same situation.
But they are only concerned with the game against Benfica, and if Klopp’s mood is any guide, they look confident.
(Editor: Jiuquan with a smile)Return to Sohu, see more
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