Liverpool: Liverpool winger Sadio Mane requires knee surgery and will miss the rest of the season, manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday.
“Pretty sure Mane needs surgery and then it is season over. Impossible that he will play again this season,” Klopp told a news conference.
Senegal international Mane has scored 13 Premier League goals this season but suffered the knee injury during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Everton last weekend.
Klopp also said midfielder Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge are doubtful for Saturday’s league visit to Stoke City while English duo Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana will both definitely miss the game.
Klopp believes his side can benefit by emulating Premier League leaders Chelsea, especially in their ability to close matches out from a winning position.
Klopp was left fuming after Bournemouth scored a late equaliser in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at Anfield to hinder the Merseyside club’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League via a top-four finish.
“Probably (if it was) Chelsea, for example, the opponent would not have the ball three times in the last 20 minutes I think,” Klopp, whose side have dropped 15 points from winning positions this season, said.
“Yes, we don’t have this experience. Probably you need things that to get more experience than this, even though (the result) was not that good ... We have to get more experience in this, for sure.” Liverpool are third in the league, six points above fifth-placed Arsenal although they have played two games more than the north London side.
