Mohamed Salah's not happy with international exit but everything will work out for Liverpool, insists Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp has asserted that Mohamed Salah will not be negatively impacted by his nation’s failure to qualify for the World Cup and backed the Egyptian winger to produce the goods this week. The Pharaohs lost to Senegal on penalties in their playoff match over the international break.
Mohamed Salah was unable to guide his nation to a berth at the upcoming 2022 World Cup held in Qatar as Senegal beat through penalties in the second leg of the crucial playoff game. The Pharaohs had beaten Sadio Mane’s Senegal in the first leg although they failed to make their advantage count in the second leg.
Both teams had clear-cut chances to score in the second leg although the game remained scoreless in normal time and then subsequently extra-time. A penalty shoot-out didn't favour Egypt as a host of players missed their kick with Salah failing to convert a crucial spot-kick at one stage.
Mane converted the winning penalty for his nation as the Lions of Teranga gained qualification into the 2022 World Cup. It was the second time in less than two months the Pharaohs lost to Senegal in a shootout, with the first one coming in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Klopp has admitted that Salah will not be fazed by a heartbreaking exit and backed his star player to continue his goalscoring form for the Merseyside club as they host Watford on Saturday.
"That is the reaction that is in Mo, he has no real skills for staying down. We are all down from time to time but he has no real skills for that. He's not happy but when he comes back here it's like everything works and is exactly how it should be. After the Champions League final [in 2018] we had the problem that he was injured but he would have probably tried to play the next day if he could,” Klopp told Liverpool Echo.
"Of course, it was not possible and he had the injury coming into the pre-season a little bit but mindset-wise, this is his kind of mindset for sure," he added.
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