Jurgen Klopp has big Mohamed Salah call to make as Liverpool’s punishing April begins

That a penalty shootout was needed for Senegal to beat Egypt for a place at the World Cup this week will have come as no shock to Jurgen Klopp.

After seeing his star men in Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah go all the way to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations before spot-kicks went the way of the former last month, a repeat for a place at the Qatar showpiece will not have surprised the Liverpool boss. A total of 180 minutes across two legs was followed by an additional 30 minutes of extra time – which came hot on the heels of another two hours of action in the AFCON final in February – and it was to be Mane who was once again left smiling.

It was only commiserations for Salah who has seen his AFCON and World Cup dreams go up in smoke in less than two months with his nation. The Liverpool No.11 may justifiably lay claim to being the planet’s best right now, but even he was not able to inspire an otherwise ordinary Pharaohs team to greater heights – even if he did come incredibly close.

He will return to Merseyside this week with 210 minutes in his legs and his spirits likely to be at a low ebb. The same tax will be applied to Mane, even if, like AFCON in Cameroon, the mood will once again be much different for Senegal’s hero.

Mane is unlikely to need a pep talk from Klopp this week when he returns to the AXA Centre in Kirkby. It will be a trademark bear hug and a pat on the back before he is sent out to train with his club teammates ahead of the visit from Watford.

And given the exerting nature of the crucial two legs with Egypt, both from a physical and mental viewpoint, it would be no real surprise if Mane is held in reserve for Saturday afternoon’s game with Roy Hodgson’s men.

How the Liverpool manager deals with Salah, however, will be much more intriguing. The top scorer had barely set foot on Merseyside ground when he was informing his manager of his desire to be involved ahead of a visit from Leicester on February 10 after his AFCON fate.

“I spoke to him and pretty much the first thing Mo told me was: ‘I’m ready,’” said Klopp when asked about Salah at the time. “He is very disappointed of course, but looking forward to all the things coming up here now. He is an experienced player, he is a physical monster, so we have to see.”

Nearly two months on, one would not be surprised to hear a similar update from Klopp ahead of the weekend’s game. After all, there is a quadruple to be won and Salah wants to spearhead it. But one of the most pleasing elements of this Liverpool squad now is the ability to rest and rotate without diluting too much quality.

Allowing Salah some further time off after his exertions for Egypt may be needed ahead of an April that will be as punishing as it is pulsating. Liverpool will feel, even if it is only a private declaration, that they can navigate a visit from relegation-threatened Watford without their talisman up top.

If that is the case, the question is just who fills in for Salah and Mane this weekend?

Roberto Firmino was unused by Brazil over the international break as they recorded back-to-back 4-0 victories over Chile and Bolivia, which frees up the No.9 for a potential inclusion against the Hornets.

Firmino came off the bench to score in his last Premier League outing at Arsenal and punished Saturday’s visitors with a hat-trick at Vicarage Road earlier in the season. His selection, however, presents question marks over just where Diogo Jota might fit in.

The Portugal international scored in his 71-minute run-out against Turkey last week before supplying Bruno Fernandes with a superb assist in the 2-0 victory against North Macedonia on Tuesday evening. The former Wolves man again lasted under 80 minutes at Estadio do Dragao, so it would be fair to suggest Jota was not run into the ground while on duty with the Seleccao over the last fortnight.

Luis Diaz is another whose exploits across the international break have caught the eye. The winger scored a superb effort in the 3-0 triumph over Bolivia last week as he played 84 minutes before being replaced by Jefferson Lerma in Barranquilla.

Diaz then lasted the full game as Los Cafeteros beat Venezuela 1-0 in Bolivar on Tuesday evening. Those minutes and the distance traveled by the 25-year-old will be taken into consideration by Klopp and his staff ahead of the weekend.

Could this be a game for either Divock Origi or Takumi Minamino then? The former has not played since he started the FA Cup win over Norwich at Anfield on March 3 and appears increasingly likely to be in his final weeks as a Liverpool player as AC Milan’s interest continues to be reported.

Minamino, meanwhile, has tended to be a man for the domestic cups this term but his nine goals this season should not be overlooked given he is rarely being asked to start games under Klopp.

If the manager feels as though this game will come too soon for Mane, Salah, and Diaz – three players whose international routes have taken them thousands of miles away from Merseyside of late – then there will be a degree of comfort asking either Origi or Minamino to fill in against Watford.

It is the type of luxury that hasn’t always been available to Klopp but as a potentially season-defining period flickers on the horizon for the Reds, it is one the manager might just think long and hard about ahead of the weekend.