Sadio Mane has sparked fears over his fitness after visiting a hospital to suggest he may be a doubt for next week’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Roma.
The Senegal international walked into the Spire Hospital in Liverpool on Wednesday with a slight limp. He spent over half an hour in the building before leaving.
The previous evening, Mane had successfully completed the full 90 minutes in Liverpool’s spectacular 5-2 victory over Roma at Anfield and manager Jurgen Klopp did not mention an injury issue after the game.
Sadio Mane is seen walking with a slight limp as he makes his way into the Spire Hospital
The Liverpool star sported a Givenchy hoodie worth £660 and Gucci shoes valued at £450
But with so little time before Wednesday’s second leg in Rome, even the slightest of problems could leave him struggling to recover in time. That potentially leaves Klopp missing a key player in what is likely to be an intense battle at the Stadio Olimpico.
Liverpool must already contend with the absence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the rest of the campaign after the midfielder suffered knee ligament damage in the early stages of Tuesday’s game.
Emre Can and Adam Lallana are already unlikely to feature again this season after picking up injuries last month, leaving Klopp with just captain Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum as his senior midfield options.
However, the loss of Mane would be felt much harder with the forward making up one-third of the devastating attacking force that has led them to the verge of a Champions League final.
Mane spent around 35 minutes in the hospital for an unknown reason on Wednesday
The forward completed the full 90 minutes as Liverpool beat Roma 5-2 on Tuesday night
The 26-year-old, who scored the third of five goals at Anfield, has 18 strikes to his name this season and a further eight assists. That makes him less prolific than team-mates Roberto Firmino (27 goals) and Mohamed Salah (43), but his pace and skill have been crucial elements to Klopp’s style of play this season.
Whether injured or not, Klopp is likely to rest Mane in Saturday’s Premier League clash against relegation-threatened Stoke City with the German having to manage his players in a period of hectic scheduling.
Liverpool remain in prime position to finish in the top four but must beat the Potters and then avoid defeat against Chelsea next week to secure their spot in next season’s Champions League.
A surprise defeat against Stoke, coupled with another against the Blues at Stamford Bridge next week, would leave them vulnerable to dropping out of the qualification positions.
Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been ruled out for the rest of the season
With that in mind, Klopp described the game against Paul Lambert’s side as ‘massive’ and insisted he would not think about the Champions League semi-final second leg until Saturday’s game was over.
He said: ‘I am already, to be 100 per cent honest, in the Stoke game. I am much more interested about the Stoke game in the moment than the second leg against Rome.
‘The atmosphere (against Roma) was absolutely outstanding, what you can expect if you are 5-0 in the lead, the people really enjoyed it.
‘So, I say to everybody who has a ticket, I expect exactly the same atmosphere on Saturday at 12:30 because we need it.
‘That’s a massive game for us and we need to be ready for that, and we try everything to be ready for that.’
Mane’s outfit for his hospital trip was made up of Givenchy hoodie, Lacoste shorts and a pair of slip-on Gucci shoes. The jumper, which is also available in blue, is valued at £660 while the leather trainers cost a hefty £450.
Mane’s Givenchy ‘Paris Patch Destroyed Hoddie’ sells for £660 and is also available in blue
The Senegalese forward also sported a pair of £450 leather slip-ons from Gucci