Mane set for Burnley battle, days after winning AFCON

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is in line to feature to against Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday following Senegal’s title win at the Africa Cup of Nations, with captain Jordan Henderson also available, manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday.

Mane, who scored the winning penalty as Senegal beat Egypt in the final, last played for Liverpool over a month ago, while Henderson missed Thursday’s league win 1 against Leicester City after picking up a back injury.

“I assume Sadio will be in full training today and then we’ll make a decision after that on how he feels and all that stuff,” Klopp told reporters.

“He will probably still be emotionally high-flying, but physically we have to see how intense the last few days were for him.

“Hendo, yes, definitely will be back. That’s the plan. It was the plan before the game and is still the plan now. If nothing happens, he will play on Sunday.”

Klopp also confirmed that defender Joe Gomez and striker Divock Origi were fit and available after failing to make the squad against Leicester.

Second-placed Liverpool, who trail leaders Manchester City by nine points, take on a Burnley side that held Manchester United to a draw earlier this week, and Klopp said he was impressed with their performance.

“I had the pleasure to watch Burnley against United. This situation explains the Premier League the best. The quality they produced was incredible. It was a proper team performance. There is a big possibility for them to still stay in the league,” said the German.

Sean Dyche’s team, who sit bottom of the league with 14 points from 20 games, are four points from the safety zone but have a couple of games in hand.

“They brought in a new striker (Wout Weghorst). If you saw the game, you would have seen he is a lively boy… Burnley ask for all physicality you can put in a game, we cannot have the ball all the time and they are good when they have the ball,” added Klopp.

“They have footballers everywhere. On top of that, the set-piece threat, we have to be aware and concentrated.”