Originally Posted by
Insidious
Approximation of the games Salah will miss -
- Fulham (Cup)
- Norwich (Cup)
- Chelsea
- Arsenal
- Burnley
- Brentford
A loss, but I think we should manage. Have said it already but of those matches, the Arsenal one concerns me the most - quietly confident on the rest.
Just feel the timing of it from a squad-rotation perspective, combined with it being an away fixture, combined with the missing lads that will likely narrowly miss being back for it stacks a lot against us.
We can win it of course, we're Boss - but we'll be playing it with a thin squad, tired players and knowing that the pace/energy of the match could lead to ANOTHER injury for someone. .....
Is it, though?
(A loss, I mean).
Because from the sounds of it, it seems like Mo will miss just about the same number of games he would have missed if Egypt got to the final (which they did the in the last AFCON before losing to Mane's Senegal).
And we did okay that month without the two of them not just going unbeaten but only not winning one game, I believe.
Not to say the same will necessarily happen this time around (either Egypt getting to the final or ourselves have that same kind of run).
But I feel like people tend to place an overly disproportionate amount of importance on Mo's absence or availability for us.
The key, I feel is keeping Jota and one of either Nunez or Gakpo healthy through that run and have a decent contribution from the midfield in the goals department.
Also, we went to Arsenal's barn with a weakened and injury-hit squad and still managed to beat them even with Klopp throwing in the kids in the final minutes, seemingly in an effort to avoid having to deal with a replay even if it meant getting knocked out.
I feel we have enough about ourselves to take them again, as they know we don't fear anything about playing them at their place and getting points from them there.
In closing, yes, a healthy Mo would actually be not just welcome but preferable to have in our lineup than not, but his absence doesn't necessarily mean we're going to struggle like all the pundits seem to be intimating.
'I got told there's an English phrase, 'You don't win trophies with kids'. I didn't know that' ... - Jurgen Klopp
Stone-Cold Savage!
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