Liverpool news: Will Mohamed Salah feature against West Brom - Jurgen Klopp’s difficult choice

Alex Broun 11:37 21/04/2018
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  • Will Mohamed Salah be a shock departure from Liverpool during the transfer window?

    Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has a difficult choice whether or not to rest his record breaking striker Mohamed Salah as Liverpool travel to West Bromwich Albion for Saturday’s early kick-off (15:30 UAE time) in the Premier League.

    On one hand the German would want to wrap his Egyptian star in cotton wool to make sure he is 100% ready for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Roma at Anfield on Tuesday night.

    On the other he is well aware of how much his team mates, and Salah himself, want him to win the Golden Boot award and he does not want to hold the Egyptian king back from chasing that title.

    Salah, with 30 goals, currently holds a four-goal cushion on Harry Kane, which should be enough with four games to play in the PL, but if Klopp rests Salah and the Spurs man picks up say a double when Tottenham host Watford next weekend – very possible – then it starts to get very tense at the top.

    Klopp also has other factors to consider.

    Liverpool currently have momentum – unbeaten in the last six games – and the manager will want to continue that winning run completely aware of how dangerous West Brom can be on their day.

    Kopp needs no reminding of how the Baggies tossed Liverpool out of the FA Cup – coming back from an early goal to lead 3-1 at half time, 3-2 at full time – and at Anfield no less.

    West Brom also pulled off the shock of the season with a 1-0 win against second placed Manchester United last weekend as they try to pull off their own miracle to stay in the Premier League – nine points from safety with three games remaining.

    If WBA lose today they will almost certainly be relegated which greatly increases their desperation levels.

    A further consideration is that the Reds Champions League qualification for next season is still not assured with Chelsea hanging on by their finger nails.

    Currently Liverpool are seven points ahead of the Blues and need to win two more matches to make sure they finish in the top four.

    A loss to WBA and a win for Chelsea in their next Premier League fixture away at Swansea next weekend and the pressure will start to build on Klopp’s team – and as we have seen in the past with the Reds, pressure can do funny things.

    All this will be swarming through Klopp’s brain as he pens his team sheet this afternoon.

    At this stage he appears only to be resting Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson and Robert Firmino. But the big question still remains – will Salah play?

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