The Liverpool fans in the Transfer Tavern are excited to see their side return to Premier League action on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will be hoping to continue their winning run of form when they host Mauricio Pellegrino’s Southampton side at Anfield on Saturday afternoon. Liverpool have enjoyed a solid start to the season, but they will be hoping to improve their form and overtake their top-four rivals in the coming months. Liverpool’s chances of achieving their aims this season will be heavily influenced by their luck with injuries, and so far this season Sadio Mane’s luck appears to be out on that front.
Thus far, Mane has struggled to enjoy a consistent run of games in Liverpool’s first-team this season.
Mane was controversially sent off for alleged dangerous play after a nasty collision involving Man City’s goalkeeper Ederson. Following a 3 match domestic suspension, he obtained a hamstring injury that ruled him out of 3 more Premier League fixtures and both of their last two Champions League ties against NK Maribor.
Mane was in frightening form against West Ham last time out in the Premier League as he lay on two assists for his team-mates on the way to a 1-4 Liverpool victory.
However, Mane looks set for another spell on the sidelines after experiencing a recurrence of the hamstring injury that ruled him out of contention recently whilst on international duty for Senegal.
The news represents a huge disappointment for everybody involved at the club and Klopp will be hoping that he can make a speedy recovery before Southampton’s visit to Anfield this weekend.
With Mane potentially out of contention for selection in the coming matches, these two players need to step up their performances to ensure his absence is not hard-felt on the pitch.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has enjoyed a relatively low-key opening to his career on Merseyside, barring a dreadful performance in Liverpool’s League Cup defeat to Leicester back in September that was duly noted in the British media.
However, he has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks and he bagged his first Premier League goal against West Ham last time out.
Now that Chamberlain has had some time to settle into his new environment and gel with his players on the training pitch, he needs to kick on and justify his £35 million transfer fee.
With Mane potentially out of action, he has a fantastic opportunity to cement a place as a first-team regular and improve his chances of reaching Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad next summer.
Philippe Coutinho
Phillipe Coutinho’s future may well hang in the balance, but whilst he remains a Liverpool employee he should be doing more to justify the price tag he commanded in the summer.
So far this season, his performances have been well below the standard he has set for himself during almost 5-years with the club.
A dream move to Barcelona has only become a potential reality for Coutinho because Liverpool took a chance on the Brazillian when he was unproven at Inter Milan in 2013.
Regardless of his future intentions, Coutinho owes it to the club to replicate his scintillating best form for the remainder of the season.
