Mamadou Sakho’s Liverpool future is in doubt after he was sent home from the club’s pre-season tour of the United States by Jürgen Klopp.
The France international was booked on the same flight to Heathrow from San Francisco on Monday as the defender Brad Smith, who is returning to undergo a medical before a proposed £6m transfer to Bournemouth.
Liverpool have confirmed Sakho will continue his rehabilitation from an achilles injury on his return to Melwood. The former Paris Saint-Germain captain has not played any pre-season friendlies and is due to miss the start of the new Premier League season because of the problem. However, his attitude around the training camp has caused concern for Klopp and is understood to be behind the decision to remove Sakho from the squad.
The £19m defender has not played for Liverpool since 20 April after being accused of failing a drugs test by Uefa. The case was eventually dismissed by Uefa’s control, ethics and disciplinary body but cost Sakho a place in the Europa League final and in the France squad for the European Championship on home soil.
Sakho is taking legal advice over Uefa’s actions and a strained relationship with Klopp would raise doubt over his place at Liverpool.
