Liverpool may have won the FA Cup final, but they suffered a couple of casualties along the way, which could present a major problem for their remaining games in 2021/22, including the Champions League final against Real Madrid.
On the half hour mark, Mohamed Salah sat on the ground with an injury, one that forced Jurgen Klopp to substitute the Egyptian for Diogo Jota.
Then, at the end of normal time, Virgil van Dijk had to come off for Joel Matip, having felt discomfort too.
“I felt it in the first half when I sprinted, I felt a twinge behind my knee, but I played on,” the defender said afterwards.
“In the end, I can’t risk it for the team and I need to trust players like Joel Matip. Hopefully it will be fine.”
With two crucial Premier League games still to come for Liverpool, as well as the Champions League final in Paris on May 28, these issues are problematic for Klopp.
However, there is optimism in both cases, as Liverpool hope Salah and Van Dijk can make it in time for the date with Real Madrid.
More Champions League final heartbreak for Salah
If he does have to miss the Champions League final, it’ll be yet more heartbreak for Salah after he had to go off with a shoulder injury early into the 2018 match against Real Madrid.
“I remember the last Champions League final against Real Madrid as if it was yesterday,” he said in a recent interview with BeIN Sport.
“When I left the pitch last time, it was sad for me, but I had to accept it and move on. That’s why we won the Champions League a year later.
“I feel very excited about facing them in the final again. We want to do well this time.
All my life I’ve been thinking this way and tried to stay on the right track. In the past, there were those who told me that I would not be able to achieve anything after leaving Chelsea but I stayed positive.”
“I hope we can achieve the quadruple. I’m doing my best to win the Premier League and the Champions League, but the most important thing is the team.”
