Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has praised Mohamed Salah after the forward scored on his return against Manchester City, insisting the Egyptian has no shoulder problems.
Salah was instrumental on his return at the International Champions Cup, netting the equalizer for Liverpool who registered a 2-1 win over Manchester City. The injury he suffered during the Champions League final affected his performance at the World Cup. However, Salah – the reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner and Player of the Year – showed no signs of discomfort after scoring within a minute of his introduction.
Salah came off the bench and canceled out Leroy Sane’s opener in the 63rd minute and he hit the crossbar shortly after, before Sadio Mane converted a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Asked about Salah’s return post-match, Liverpool manager Klopp told reporters: “I said before the game, it’s not that he has problems – he has no problems. He only needs to get used to all the different things.
“We do a lot with the shoulder to strengthen the muscles and all that stuff. Usually you don’t do anything with the shoulder but in rehab you feel this and feel that, and you need to learn that’s normal. He is in that moment but he has absolutely no issues, I was not concerned about it otherwise he wouldn’t have played.
“He came in and scored after pretty much 35 seconds. He had a big impact together with Sadio and Dom [Solanke], and the midfield with Marko [Grujic], Pedro [Chirivella] and Ben [Woodburn] played fantastic.
“Both full-backs were then really involved in the offensive situations, which we didn’t have too much in the first half. Both centre-halves were there. Nat Phillips on this level is surprised by himself, that’s really cool; Raggy did well; and Caoimhin [Kelleher] had a nice save.
“So it was really a nice second half which helped us a lot because we all see it’s still there, it’s all good. We only need to keep on working and make sure that in two weeks we have fresher legs than tonight.”
In the match, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were on target as Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-1 at the International Champions Cup.
Manchester City took the lead in the 57th minute through Leroy Sane but Mohamed Salah netted the leveler the 63rd minute before Mane converted a penalty in the 94th minute to hand Pep Guardiola’s men second consecutive defeat of pre-season.
Salah, who suffered a shoulder injury during the Champions League final, scored less than a minute after his introduction in the pitch in the second half. The Egyptian, with the suggestion of offside, headed past the helpless Joe Hart to cancel out Leroy Sane’s opener after the German put Manchester City ahead six minutes later, while the Liverpool star struck the woodwork moments later.
Sadio Mane wasted two great chances during the closing stages but it did not matter as he stepped up and converted a 94th-minute penalty after Solanke was bundled over.
Loris Karius retained his spot in the XI despite another error in Liverpool’s opening 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund last time out, while Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Andy Robertson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne and Daniel Sturridge also started.
Missing a host of World Cup stars, Pep Guardiola’s City line-up was headlined by club-record signing Riyad Mahrez and Claudio Bravo, with Sane and Bernardo Silva among the substitutes following a 1-0 defeat against Dortmund.
Chances were few and far between in the first half, though City had an opportunity to break the deadlock in the 12th minute when Lukas Nmecha was played in brilliantly by Mahrez but Karius made a good save before the rebound was blazed over the crossbar.
The introductions of Sane and Mane brought the match to life in the second half as Liverpool almost made the breakthrough within three minutes of the restart.
A last-ditch intervention off the line denied Mane, who almost bundled the ball into the net following chaos in the penalty area.
City then had a golden opportunity to open the scoring when Luke Bolton left Fabinho in his wake and slid a ball across the six-yard box but Sane’s shot was saved by substitute keeper Caoimhim Kelleher.
Sane was not to be denied a minute later as he showed outstanding pace and composure to put the Premier League champions ahead after gliding past Van Dijk and Clyne before finishing calmly – a moment of magic which left Klopp shaking his head.
That prompted the addition of Salah just past the hour-mark and he restored parity within seconds of his arrival – guiding a header beyond Hart.
City had no answer to Salah, who almost made it two but his goal-bound header was cleared away for a corner, while he rattled the crossbar moments later after finding space in behind Guardiola’s defense.
With penalties looming, the referee pointed to the spot in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Solanke was clumsily fouled in the back by Tosin Adarabioyo following Salah’s chipped pass and Mane made no mistake against Hart.