Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has no plans to find transfer window solutions for Africa Cup of Nations absentees Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita.
The Reds boss could be without at least two members of that trio for a month from the start of January and while Egyptian Salah and Senegal’s Mane will be huge misses it is difficult to replace them.
The tournament is hanging in the balance with organisers adamant it will still take place despite widespread reports that it may have to be scrapped with the Omicron coronavirus variant spreading rapidly.
But organisers are adamant that the AFCON will take place, with just weeks left until the first game. However, there is still confusion over the situation, with pressure seemingly building for a drastic U-turn as a result of the worsening global health emergency.
Despite the uncertainty, Klopp insisted before his side’s clash with Newcastle at Anfield on Thursday night that he would not be going into the transfer market to replace the players he will be without.
‘We knew three would be qualified and be there and we knew that at least two of them will go pretty far in the tournament,’ said Klopp.
‘Can you be prepared for something like that, properly, perfectly? Like a one-for-one replacement for Sadio, a replacement for Mo, one replacement for Naby?
‘That’s tricky in each situation but I am happy with the squad and we have options to play and still to play football.
‘The thing is there are so many games coming up when we are still together – that is the most intense period now – but then we have a lot of games when Mo and Naby and Sadio are not here.
‘That means we have to find line-ups for these games, even when we have cup competitions we have to find line-ups for these games as well, and that is the situation so you can never be perfectly prepared for this. ‘We are quite confident we will find solutions
