Liverpool can give Mohamed Salah what he wants if he keeps his promise to supporters

“No person within the medical division was optimistic about it. It doesn’t look good.”

Words uttered by Jurgen Klopp that despatched shudders down the backbone of the Anfield trustworthy, after they have been preceded by Jordan Henderson limping off towards Everton on Saturday.

The Liverpool captain suffered a groin problem towards the Blues, including to Klopp’s ever-growing harm checklist notably amongst gamers who can ply their commerce at centre-back.

However greater than that with Henderson’s harm, the Reds misplaced considered one of their out-and-out leaders and the person who galvanises his teammates whereas lifting the usual of these round him too.

As regards to leaders, vice-captain James Milner suffered a hamstring downside towards Leicester final weekend and Virgil van Dijk is recovering from a long-term knee challenge that required surgical procedure again in October.

With accidents to Henderson, Milner and Van Dijk, Liverpool are lacking their three first-choice captains with Gini Wijnaldum the fourth in command and the participant who was handed the armband as Henderson left the sector towards Carlo Ancelotti’s males.

Now, Liverpool should fill the void Henderson is undoubtedly set to go away – notably along with his management qualities – and it’s as much as the gamers to do this.

Mohamed Salah admitted in December that he was “very disenchanted” to not be made Liverpool captain and “anticipated” Klopp at hand him the honour within the Champions League useless rubber towards FC Midtjylland when a much-changed aspect was skippered by Trent Alexander-Arnold.

No query, Salah is a world-class famous person on the pitch however being a captain at an elite stage is about a lot extra than simply having unimaginable capability – you want to be a pacesetter and somebody who each followers and gamers alike can look to when occasions are robust.

And simply final week, barely 24 hours after Liverpool had slumped to a 3rd successive Premier League defeat to Leicester, Salah stepped out to deliver a public promise of real substance.

“It’s been a tricky interval for a lot of causes,” tweeted the Egyptian. “We’re champions and we’ll struggle like champions, till the very finish.

“We won’t permit this season to be outlined by the current outcomes we’ve had.

“That’s my promise to all of you.”

True to his phrase, Salah led from the entrance two days after his pronouncement by opening the scoring towards RB Leipzig within the Champions League and capitalising on a defensive error to assist the Reds declare a 2-0 victory of their last-16 first leg.

It was the mark of a participant who can meet a present challenge head on and tackle the duty to do one thing about it.

And it’s one thing he might want to do once more this season to be able to assist his aspect discover new distinguished leaders whereas proving he’s prepared for the captaincy he so wishes.

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Elsewhere, Wijnaldum is already in place because the Reds’ fourth alternative captain and if he’s to proceed in that function he might want to maintain displaying reliable consistency on the pitch whereas changing into extra vocal and studying from the best way gamers like Henderson, Milner and Van Dijk have delivered messages to their teammates when issues aren’t as much as the usual Klopp expects.

That is to not say the Dutch midfielder cannot be heard throughout video games however nothing like in the identical method because the aforementioned trio and that must change with Liverpool usually in determined want of some inspiration, notably if Milner would not return from harm and are available straight into the aspect.

There’s additionally Alisson Becker who seemed each bit the chief behind Van Dijk when the centre-back was match and the goalkeeper is somebody who now additionally wants to search out his voice once more and command to carry the very best out of the gamers in entrance of him with Henderson absent.

“Within the locker room he [Alisson] is all the time up,” Sadio Mane mentioned this week.

“As a result of he has no doubts about it, he is aware of his high quality. And we all know that he’ll undergo that part. We needn’t maintain speaking to him to get excited, as a result of he’s superb.”

Clearly the Brazil No.1 is somebody the gamers can look to within the dressing room and it’s precisely that type of high quality Henderson and the captain’s group at Anfield dropped at the occasion.

Andy Robertson is one other vocal character amongst Klopp’s ranks and he will probably be essential in maintaining the motivation amongst his teammates whereas kind is a giant challenge on the home entrance.

His full-back accomplice Alexander-Arnold, who was handed the captaincy towards Midtjylland, has been on the membership since he was six and is aware of simply how a lot it means to be a pacesetter for the Reds with Curtis Jones in an analogous scenario too, having grown up within the metropolis whereas supporting the membership.

And actually, mentioning all these gamers in relation to main Liverpool, is to say that it’s now as much as each man amongst Klopp’s ranks to step up in Henderson’s absence and provides the crew precisely what the captain has on so many events earlier than.