Sadio Mane will not travel to Hong Kong with Liverpool on Sunday as he continues his rehabilitation from meniscus damage in his left knee on Merseyside.
The Senegal international is close to rejoining team training, but as his return will coincide with the club contesting the Premier League Asia Trophy, Jurgen Klopp feels his recovery would be better served at Melwood.
He undertook a cardiovascular exercise with the full group on Tuesday and will step up his routine at the West Derby complex with some of the Under-23s.
“He is really, really good. He is close; he is closing on coming back to team training,” the Reds boss explained to the club’s official website on Mane’s situation.
“In this moment, we think it will be when we are in Asia, so then it makes no sense to take him to Asia because he needs to then do the first steps in kind of team training.
“We will see how we can do it; maybe [some of] the U23s will be here, so when he can start this [training] then we can use this opportunity, but we have to wait.
“On Tuesday morning he was part of the running, so he is first-team training if you want and that looked really good. I think he is getting better, but it is how it is after a long time – you need to build a little bit of muscle again in the quad and thigh, which is important.
“There is no risk with him because he is a naturally fit boy and in the moment when he can start to be a real part of the sessions, he will then immediately be fit again. We have not all the time in the world, but we have time and we will use it.”
Jürgen Klopp on Jordan Henderson: "He is looking forward to it, I am looking forward to it and I expect him in the line-up”#LFC pic.twitter.com/BjkjXJPpdY
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) July 12, 2017
Captain Jordan Henderson, however, is in line to make his first Liverpool appearance since February in Wednesday’s pre-season friendly at Tranmere Rovers.
The midfielder is fit having shaken off a nagging foot injury and will feature at Prenton Park.
“Having Hendo back on the training pitch is a nice thing,” Klopp said.
“Everyone who knows him knows how hard [it has been for him]… It is hard for everybody if you cannot play, but if you know Hendo you know for him it is much harder than for others.
“It will 100 per cent be a great moment to see him back on the pitch. It was a long time unfortunately, but now we have more or less both feet behind us so that’s good; now we can make the right steps in the right direction to stay in the picture. That’s good and I am really looking forward to it.
"He is looking forward to it, I am looking forward to it and I expect him in the line-up.”
New signing Mohamed Salah will not be involved as he is in Paris as part of the procedure to activate his work permit.
