Jurgen Klopp: 'Sadio Mane may not return to action this season'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 04 April 2017

Klopp worried about long-term Mane layoff

Jurgen Klopp concedes that Sadio Mane may miss the rest of the season with the knee injury sustained against Everton, but says that he cannot be "100% clear".

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he will be without Sadio Mane for Wednesday's league meeting with Bournemouth, but is unsure how much longer the forward will remain out of action.

Mane, who has emerged as one of the Reds' key players in his first campaign at Anfield, damaged his knee during a challenge with Leighton Baines in the second half of the 3-1 win over Everton on Saturday.

Overnight reports suggested that Liverpool were and planning for life without the 13-goal Senegal international for the remainder of the campaign, and Klopp admits that he is fearing the worst as he awaits the results of further scans.

"It's not 100% clear. We have to wait a little bit. I can say for sure he won't be available for tomorrow," he told reporters. "It's not very positive. But we cannot say what it is exactly.

"Unfortunately it's possible [that his season is over]. When a knee is swollen, it's not often I hear afterwards that it's nothing. But even then, or especially then, the more difficult a situation seems to be the better it is to handle it. Obviously our way is not the easy way, that's maybe the club history."

Klopp is also still without Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson for the visit of Bournemouth in midweek, but Daniel Sturridge is now back in training and could feature from the bench.