Jurgen Klopp has revealed that the ‘awful combination’ of a knock and a dead leg forced the early withdrawal of Sadio Mane during Liverpool’s win over Chelsea.
With 20 minutes remaining and the hosts in the ascendancy after N’Golo Kante’s goal, the Reds lost one of their biggest threats as Mane left the field to be replaced by James Milner.
However, Klopp has explained that he had no choice but to substitute the Senegalese, who was carrying an injury.
He said: “It’s a knock on the bone of the knee and a dead leg - that is an awful combination!
“He tried everything but there was one counter situation where he really tried and, on a non-dead leg day, he will get that ball but there was no chance.
“So we said, ‘Come on, we have to do it’ and changed.”
Mane now faces a race against time to be fit for Liverpool’s next game: a midweek trip to MK Dons in the Carabao Cup.
Klopp could look to make changes for that game, which is the Reds’ third of four consecutive away fixtures in league, Europe, and cup.
