Mohammad Salah was withdrawn off the pitch on Thursday night at Anfield due to the Egyptian international being exposed to the risk of carrying an injury, admitted Liverpool FC boss Jurgen Klopp in his post-match interview.
Klopp’s side came out second best against the Londoners Chelsea in the midweek clash on Merseyside and despite the hosts trailing the Blues to a first-half strike from Mason Mount, the Reds gaffer hauled off Salah with nearly 30 minutes still left to play for.
Defending his decision to substitute the Premier League top scorer, Klopp said that he could not risk leaving his star attacker on the pitch at a time where the 28-year-old looked far from his usual self.
‘When the boys look disappointed that’s not a problem,’ Klopp said.
‘I could have changed other players but he looked in that moment like he felt the intensity and I didn’t want to risk him. That’s all.
‘I’ve known him a long time and Mo usually looks fresh. I didn’t want to risk him. That’s it.’
Defeat on their own patch against Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea was a fifth on the trot for the Merseyside Reds, leaving the latter in a rather severe fix over their ambitions of securing Champions League football for the next season.
