Klopp Not Worried About Salah’s Fitness Ahead of Napoli Clash

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has played down concerns over Mohamed Salah’s fitness ahead of the club’s Champions League match against Napoli.

Salah was an unused substitute during Liverpool’s 2-1 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace after missing training because of an ankle problem.

However, Klopp said the Egyptian forward was looking fit and could be available for the European encounter.

“Mo Salah looks really good,” Klopp said. “I’m not worried about it.”

The Liverpool boss also gave an update on defender Joel Matip, who has been sidelined with a knee injury.

“Joel is improving but is some time away. There will be a scan this week and then we will see how it is,” Klopp said.

Liverpool were also preparing for a demanding run of fixtures, with their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup and League Cup creating a congested schedule.

Klopp said the coaching staff had developed plans to manage the workload of the players but admitted those plans could change depending on injuries and fitness issues.

“We have plans for everything, as you can imagine, and we change them constantly,” he said.

Liverpool could secure top spot in Champions League Group E with a victory over Napoli, but Klopp warned his players against becoming distracted by qualification possibilities.

Napoli were the only team to have beaten Liverpool during the season, making the Italian side a dangerous opponent despite their struggles in Serie A.

“The biggest mistake we could make is thinking that we have won it already,” Klopp said.

“Of course, we try to win the game. It would be massive for us. Napoli is a dangerous opponent.”

Klopp insisted Liverpool’s focus remained entirely on Napoli rather than their final group match against Salzburg, with several domestic fixtures still to be played before that encounter.