Klopp hopeful over Salah and Van Dijk injuries

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are Champions League final injury concerns for Liverpool after picking up issues in the FA Cup final, but Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is positive that the problems are not serious.

Half an hour into the clash with Chelsea at Wembley, Salah went down clutching his groin.

The look of anguish on his face told a story, and he was replaced by Diogo Jota following a medical assessment on the pitch.

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“Mo is a bit more than Virgil,” Klopp said to ITV. “Mo came and I had to make a decision.

“I hope he will be fine.”

In his press conference later in the evening, Klopp said: “I spoke to both after the game and both are okay.

“All that we know it is not a big thing. But the next game is on Tuesday and it is pretty quick.

“I think they will be completely fine.

“We have training tomorrow morning and they could tell me ‘I am completely fine’. I would doubt it. We have to go from there and we will see.”

Salah provided a two-word update that will be music to the ears of Reds fans.

The positive news for Liverpool is that Salah left the field without assistance, but the Champions League final is a fortnight away.

Salah said following their win over Villarreal which confirmed their place in the final in Paris that he was looking for revenge on Real Madrid.

The forward was forced off injured early on in the Champions League final of 2018, and he was forced to watch on from the sidelines as Real went on to win 3-1.

He will be given every chance to make the final, but the Reds also have a shot at winning the Premier League and realistically need to win both of their remaining two games against Southampton on Tuesday and Wolves next Sunday to stand any chance of overhauling Manchester City.

Klopp expects to make wholesale changes for the game with Southampton.

“I will have no clue who I can line up,” Klopp said. “I think we will have to make a few changes.

“Southampton’s last home game of the season and they do not want to lose the last home game.

“It will be incredibly tough so the quadruple is on if you want, but off as well because of the situation we are in.”

Van Dijk was another player who did not finish the game for the Reds, as he was withdrawn prior to the start of extra-time after the game had finished goalless after 90 minutes.

The Netherlands international revealed following Liverpool’s win on penalties he felt something in his knee.

“We are going to check it out,” Van Dijk told ITV. “I felt it in the first half when I did a sprint. I felt a twinge behind my knee.

“I played on but I could not risk it.

“Hopefully the injury will be fine.”

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