Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City have all slipped down the rankings in the latest Deloitte Football Money League as clubs from continental Europe gained ground.

Liverpool have had the biggest fall of any club in the top 20, from third place down to seventh, after Deloitte found their revenue had dropped slightly from £594.3million to £593.8m.

Deloitte attributed that fall to the Reds’ on-field performance, with the club finishing fifth in the Premier League last season and bowing out in the Champions League last 16.

Manchester United dropped one place to fifth despite a healthier revenue figure than the season before, while treble winners City were leapfrogged by Real Madrid and now sit second, despite posting a record Premier League revenue figure in their most recent accounts.

The Money League looks at revenue figures reported in clubs’ annual accounts for the 2022-23 season and does not look at operating costs.

Tottenham and Chelsea switched places compared to last year, with Spurs up one place to eighth, while Arsenal held on to 10th position.

Real led the way with revenue of £723m in 2022-23, demonstrating the club are doing well out of European football’s current ecosystem, despite their president Florentino Perez being arguably the most staunch advocate for a Super League.

Paris St Germain enter the top three for the first time, while Barcelona moved up three places to seventh with a revenue figure of £696m.

Tim Bridge, the lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, told the PA news agency: “There is a point in time, a moment here, where you’ve got Real Madrid and Barcelona redeveloping their stadiums, they have made moves towards controlling much more of their operations, particularly merchandising and licensing, so those revenue figures are a result of direct changes they have made to their business model.

“When we look at the Premier League holistically we’re not 100 per cent certain the days of significant domestic growth in media rights is over, but what we can say is, without significant competition coming into that market, then single-figure percentage growth is the likely outcome in that domestic market. Therefore the focus is on what can be done in the international market.

“What has always underpinned the fact there have been 10 or 11 Premier League clubs in the Money League has been that the media rights growth has given them significant distributions. Other leagues have caught up and there has been a slight plateauing of Premier League rights.”

Deloitte said the top 20 clubs had earned 10.5billion euros (£9bn) collectively, a 14 per cent increase on the previous season.

Barcelona Femeni were the top-earning women’s club in the world, with revenue rising by 74 per cent to £11.6m.

Jurgen Klopp was delighted his Liverpool side matched Fulham’s desire to reach the Carabao Cup final after the Reds secured their place at Wembley with a spirited 1-1 second-leg draw at Craven Cottage.

Luis Diaz put the Reds in the driving seat in the first half and despite Issa Diop’s 76th minute equaliser giving Fulham late hope, Liverpool sealed a 3-2 aggregate win after their 2-1 victory at Anfield earlier this month.

Klopp lauded his side’s spirit in the late stages as they now ready themselves for a repeat of the 2022 final against Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea.

“We were just ready for this game and that’s the most important thing. I saw Marco Silva’s press conference and we know what this game meant to them and so I told the boys we have to also show it,” Klopp said.

“We had to show it to the outside world that we wanted it as much as them and I saw that.

“We had to get over the line and we did. It feels great, we are really happy, the boys wanted it and they got it and so we have 10 games to play before the final in four weeks or so. We are looking forward to Wembley.”

Liverpool defeated Chelsea in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals two years ago and Klopp believes the Blues will be motivated to get their revenge.

He added: “It will be a big one but we all know it’s against Chelsea. They will want to put history right after playing us twice two years ago.”

Diaz was quick to react and beat Timothy Castagne in the air before a deflected strike got past Bernd Leno at his near post.

The Liverpool boss talked up the winger’s impact after his standout performance on the night.

Klopp said: “He was very good. He’s a fantastic player and I have absolutely no criticism of him but I wish he set up the second and scored the third.

“The speed and the power he can generate, the technique and the combination of that is outstanding so I’m really happy.”

Fulham dug deep to try and force the game into extra-time but their earlier missed opportunities frustrated Silva come full time.

Silva believes Liverpool’s experience in big games was the difference maker between the two sides.

He said: “Tonight I felt like they were much calmer than us and to them it was just another game. With most of our players it is new to them to play in a semi-final of this competition and it is what it is.

“I think the club is going to grow in these type of moments and the players as well.”

Liverpool booked their place in the Carabao Cup final as they capitalised on their first-leg advantage and held a spirited Fulham to a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage.

Luis Diaz’s opener was cancelled out by Issa Diop but the Red’s dug deep in the second leg to claim a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Liverpool will face Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea at Wembley on February 25, two years after defeating the Blues in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals.

A fired up Fulham came out of the blocks fighting as they looked to overturn a 2-1 deficit.

After Joao Palhinha’s first-time volley from Andreas Pereira’s corner sailed over, the hosts continued to push through the overlapping Antonee Robinson whose dangerous delivery failed to connect with a white shirt.

But a moment of complacency saw Liverpool strike the first blow in the 11th minute.

Jarell Quansah sent a long ball forward which appeared routine for Timothy Castagne to claim but the full-back was caught napping by Diaz.

The winger reacted quickly to beat him in the air before he drove into the box and scored past Bernd Leno at his near post.

Diaz had the ball in the back of the net again after Darwin Nunez exploited large gaps between centre-backs Tosin Adarabioyo and Diop but the goal was ruled offside after the striker naively moved too soon.

The Cottagers sought inspiration through Raul Jimenez and the Mexico international’s long-range shot forced Caoimhin Kelleher into action when he tipped the ball wide for a corner.

The hosts, now galvanised, enjoyed a five-minute flurry but despite Willian’s attempt from distance and Tom Cairney finding promising pockets, Marco Silva’s men failed to get the goal they desperately needed.

Fulham’s momentum continued after the break but so did their poor day in front of goal. Second-choice keeper Kelleher failed to collect a high ball, losing out to Bobby Decordova-Reid before Pereira found the post from a tight angle instead of the open net.

Liverpool appeared to have rode the storm and began to turn the screw themselves. After Nunez’s effort whistled past Leno’s left post in the 63rd minute, powerful midfielder Ryan Gravenberch did well to get the ball out of his feet before producing a driven strike which missed the target, much to the delight of Leno who would have been well-beaten.

Fulham blew the tie wide open when they scored in the 77th minute.

Harry Wilson drove down the left and curved a cross into the area where he found Diop, who had galloped forward from the back and expertly claimed the leveller with a neat finish past the keeper.

The west Londoners pushed for a dramatic ending and to take the tie into extra-time but a stubborn Liverpool held on through four added minutes.

Liverpool’s assistant manager Pep Lijnders has insisted Mohamed Salah’s commitment should never be doubted after his imminent return from the Africa Cup of Nations to have treatment on a hamstring injury provoked criticism.

The Egypt captain will fly back from the Ivory Coast on Wednesday so the club’s medical staff can take care of his rehabilitation, with the hope he could rejoin the national team should they reach the latter stages of the tournament.

That move has drawn criticism from Egypt’s record caps-holder Ahmed Hassan, who said Salah should have stayed with the team “even if he only had one leg to stand on”, but Lijnders has sprung to the 31-year-old’s defence.

“The one you should never doubt the commitment of is Mo Salah,” he said.

“I never met a guy, a player but also a human being, who is more committed to the life of being a professional football player.

“I know the country is devastated to lose him. We were devastated to hear he got injured.

“He played the first game, scores, assists, (he’s) captain and massively important, of course, but the only reason our medical team and their medical team decided for him to come back is to give the best possible chance to be available if Egypt make the final.

“What I’m really happy about is the medical team of Egypt and Liverpool Football Club worked together, were really in close contact and they made this decision together.

“It is an example of how international football and club football should co-operate to put the player in the centre and not the targets of everyone because it is a conflict of interest.

“All of us made the decision which is best for him and for him the best is having a stable environment, knowing the people and having people who are committed and have the time to focus on his rehab process and we know how it will go here in this facility.”

Mohamed Salah’s muscle injury is “more serious than first thought” and could keep the Liverpool forward out of action for nearly a month, according to his agent.

On Sunday, Liverpool announced the 31-year-old would be returning from the Ivory Coast, where he was representing Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations, to undergo treatment with the aim of returning to the Pharaohs if they progressed to the knockout stages of the competition.

That optimistic plan, at least according to Ramy Abbas Issa, now looks to have suffered a significant setback.

Posting to his personal account on X (formerly Twitter), the agent wrote: “Mohamed’s injury is more serious than first thought and he will be out for 21-28 days, and not two games.

“His best chance at participating in the current AFCON is by undergoing intensive rehabilitation in the UK and rejoining the team as soon as he is fit.”

The PA news agency has contacted Liverpool for comment.

An Egyptian FA statement, posted on Liverpool’s official website on Sunday evening, read: “After additional examinations were conducted on Mohamed Salah during the last hours, and after communication between the national team’s medical staff and his counterpart at Liverpool FC, it was decided that the player will return to England after the Cape Verde match tomorrow to complete his treatment, with the hope that he will join the national team in the semi-final of the AFCON if we qualify.”

Premier League leaders Liverpool initially struggled to create in the absence of their talisman during Sunday’s game at Bournemouth, but moved five points clear at the top thanks to a crushing 4-0 win earned by second-half doubles from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Speaking after the victory at the Vitality Stadium, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said it “makes sense” for Salah to fly back to Merseyside from the tournament.

“That’s the plan,” the German said before the news was confirmed. “If that’s already decided 100 per cent, I don’t know. But that’s the plan.

“However long he’s out, probably everybody sees it like this, it makes sense that he’s doing the rehab with us or with our people. If that’s written in stone already, I don’t know.

“I spoke with him directly after, the night when it happened. Since then he’s in contact with our doctor. I think he will be back.”

Diogo Jota is confident Premier League leaders Liverpool can sustain their quest for silverware in the absence of a host of star names following his second-half brace at Bournemouth.

The Reds set aside being without Mohamed Salah, who is due to return to Merseyside for treatment on a muscle injury suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, to move five points clear at the top thanks to a thumping 4-0 win.

Manager Jurgen Klopp was also missing defenders Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kostas Tsimikas and Joel Matip and midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago Alcantara and Wataru Endo at Vitality Stadium.

Jota, whose quickfire strikes on the south coast were sandwiched between Darwin Nunez’s double, told Sky Sports: “It’s part of the job, we know we have a few injuries, players going away for national teams. It’s hard.

“We survived December; January is coming thick and fast from now on and we all need to be ready. I think we have the players and the quality to keep winning games.

“Of course we have world-class players – when we have them it’s easier.

“But when we don’t have them, that’s why we are Liverpool because we have good players and we kind of replace them and try to give our best and share the cost of the games between us and keep going.”

Liverpool initially struggled to create chances in their first league game this season without top scorer Salah before Nunez’s 49th-minute finish paved the way to fully capitalise on a weekend off for second-placed Manchester City.

The Reds move on to their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Fulham on Wednesday evening holding a 2-1 lead before completing the month by hosting Norwich in the FA Cup and Chelsea in the league.

While goal-scorers Nunez and Jota grabbed the headlines in Dorset, Alexis Mac Allister played an instrumental role.

The Argentina World Cup winner, who was sent off on his Anfield debut in a 3-1 victory over the Cherries in August – a decision which was later overturned, was singled out for his contribution by his manager.

“Absolutely exceptional performance, I have to say,” Klopp said of former Brighton midfielder Mac Allister.

“I’m so happy for us obviously but for him as well.

“He’s a really good footballer, let me say it like that. And he did defensively the job and offensively he is super important anyway for us.”

Bournemouth’s defeat was a second in succession after taking 19 points from the previous 21 available on the back of a 6-1 drubbing at Manchester City.

The 12th-placed Cherries turn their attention to Thursday evening’s FA Cup clash against Swansea, with head coach Andoni Iraola seeking a reaction from his players.

“We’ll see – we have another game, a different competition,” said the Spaniard.

“We know against this top, top level of opposition we have to be at our best and then have moments of some inspiration to finish things to make the final play and we didn’t find it.”

Mohamed Salah will return to Liverpool for treatment on a muscle injury picked up while on international duty, the Egyptian Football Association has announced.

The influential forward was forced off during the first half of Egypt’s 2-2 draw with Ghana in Thursday’s Africa Cup of Nations group match, causing concern for club and country.

It was later revealed the 31-year-old would miss the Pharaohs’ next two fixtures, if they progressed to the knockout stages of the competition in the Ivory Coast.

However, he will now attend Egypt’s final Group B against Cape Verde on Monday, where victory will secure their place in the last 16, before flying back to Liverpool for rehabilitation.

An Egyptian FA statement, posted on Liverpool’s official website on Sunday evening, read: “After additional examinations were conducted on Mohamed Salah during the last hours, and after communication between the national team’s medical staff and his counterpart at Liverpool FC, it was decided that the player will return to England after the Cape Verde match tomorrow to complete his treatment, with the hope that he will join the national team in the semi-final of the AFCON if we qualify.”

Premier League leaders Liverpool initially struggled to create in the absence of their talisman during Sunday’s game at Bournemouth, but moved five points clear at the top thanks to a crushing 4-0 win earned by second-half doubles from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Speaking after the victory at the Vitality Stadium, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said it “makes sense” for Salah to fly back to Merseyside from the tournament.

“That’s the plan,” the German said before the news was confirmed. “If that’s already decided 100 per cent, I don’t know. But that’s the plan.

“However long he’s out, probably everybody sees it like this, it makes sense that he’s doing the rehab with us or with our people. If that’s written in stone already, I don’t know.

“I spoke with him directly after, the night when it happened. Since then he’s in contact with our doctor. I think he will be back.”

Liverpool overcame a slow start on a soggy south coast afternoon to run out resounding victors against the Cherries in their first league match of the season without 14-goal forward Salah.

Nunez broke the deadlock four minutes into the second period and then completed the scoring in added time following Jota’s quick-fire brace as the Reds fully capitalised on a weekend off for second-placed Manchester City.

“We had the opposite of a good start,” said Klopp. “We put ourselves under pressure.

“It’s about winning the game in the end and, as long as you stay in the game, pretty much anything that happens in the game is allowed.

“Today, step by step, we found a way in the game and won it.”

Defeat for 12th-placed Bournemouth was a second in succession in the top flight following 19 points from the previous 21 available.

Cherries boss Andoni Iraola felt his side lost tactical discipline after falling behind.

“We started doing things that we haven’t done before, going too fast, not so disciplined tactically and obviously we played worse in the second half,” said the Spaniard.

“They were really clinical today. The first goal is difficult to defend, the other goals we could do more, we could defend better, react more quickly to the second balls.”

Jurgen Klopp expects Mohamed Salah to return to Liverpool for treatment on the muscle issue he sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt.

Reds top scorer Salah is set to miss his country’s next two games at the tournament in Ivory Coast after suffering a muscle injury in Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Ghana.

Premier League leaders Liverpool initially struggled to create in the absence of their talisman during Sunday’s game at Bournemouth, but moved five points clear at the top thanks to a crushing 4-0 win earned by second-half doubles from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Klopp feels it “makes sense” for Salah to fly back to Merseyside from AFCON.

“That’s the plan,” the German said following victory at Vitality Stadium.

“If that’s already decided 100 per cent, I don’t know. But that’s the plan.

“However long he’s out, probably everybody sees it like this, it makes sense that he’s doing the rehab with us or with our people. If that’s written in stone already, I don’t know.

“I spoke with him directly after, the night when it happened. Since then he’s in contact with our doctor. I think he will be back.”

Following successive draws against Mozambique and Ghana, Egypt face Cape Verde on Monday evening seeking to progress from Group B.

Asked if Salah would go back to the tournament should his country reach the knockout stages, Klopp said: “I would say if Egypt qualifies for the final, if he’s fit before the final, then probably yes.

“Why not? That’s clear. It’s the tournament.

“Ivory Coast I’m sure is a wonderful country but we have no people from us there and their people have to take care of the people who are playing, so let’s see.”

Liverpool overcame a slow start on a soggy south coast afternoon to run out resounding victors against the Cherries in their first league match of the season without 14-goal forward Salah.

Nunez broke the deadlock four minutes into the second period and then completed the scoring in added time following Jota’s quick-fire brace as the Reds fully capitalised on a weekend off for second-placed Manchester City.

“We had the oppositive of a good start,” said Klopp. “We put ourselves under pressure.

“It’s about winning the game in the end and, as long as you stay in the game, pretty much anything that happens in the game is allowed.

“Today, step by step, we found a way in the game and won it.”

Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota claimed second-half doubles as Premier League leaders Liverpool moved five points clear with a crushing 4-0 victory away to Bournemouth.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds initially struggled to create at the Vitality Stadium in the absence of top scorer Mohamed Salah.

But Nunez broke the deadlock early in the second period and completed the scoring in added time following Jota’s quick-fire double.

Victory on a soggy south coast afternoon stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 14 league fixtures as they fully capitalised on a weekend off for second-placed Manchester City.

In-form Bournemouth were competitive for large parts of a frenetic encounter, but rarely threatened en route to only their second defeat in nine games.

A difficult outing for Andoni Iraola’s hosts could have been worse as Justin Kluivert was perhaps fortunate to escape a red card for a first-half challenge on Luis Diaz.

Liverpool were back in top-flight action for the first time since New Year’s Day, but without talisman Salah, who has sustained a hamstring injury at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, in the league for the first time this season.

The Reds were unable to find fluency in the opening stages as Bournemouth began brighter, albeit without testing Alisson.

Klopp’s men grew into the game and eventually enjoyed some meaningful territory.

Alexis Mac Allister fired wide from distance, before long-range efforts from Nunez and Diaz were comfortably collected by Cherries goalkeeper Neto.

Bournemouth, who had also not played a league fixture for three weeks, then breathed a sigh of relief in the 35th minute when Kluivert avoided punishment after catching Diaz with a high, studs-up tackle.

Ryan Christie eventually registered the hosts’ maiden attempt at goal in the 39th minute – a tame effort straight at Alisson – and was then unable to turn home Kluivert’s dangerous low centre just before the break.

Following a fairly forgettable first half devoid of clear chances, Liverpool capitalised on sloppy defending to edge ahead four minutes after the restart.

Ibrahima Konate’s cross-field ball was chested down by the unmarked Curtis Jones and then moved on to Jota, whose first-time pass was confidently slotted into the bottom right corner by Nunez.

Nunez, who was unfavourably compared to former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll by gloating home fans in the first half, was also involved in his side’s 70th-minute second.

The powerful Uruguay forward caused problems for Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham, allowing Reds substitute Cody Gakpo to pounce on the loose ball and slip in Jota to find the net via the base of the right post.

Jota extinguished any hope of a Cherries fightback just nine minutes later.

The Portugal forward miskicked his first effort following a pass from Premier League debutant Conor Bradley, but swiftly silenced ironic cheers by rifling into the bottom left corner.

Cherries substitute David Brooks wasted a golden chance to claim a consolation when he dinked wide in 90th minute.

And Nunez, who claimed the winner when the clubs met in the Carabao Cup fourth round at the start of November, rubbed salted into Bournemouth wounds three minutes into added time by registering his second with a fine close-range finish.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes his team have returned refreshed from their mini-break and are ready to push on in the Premier League title race.

They returned to training on Wednesday – a week after their last game – and head to Bournemouth looking to extend their advantage at the top to five points.

While they will still be missing talisman Mohamed Salah, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations, and are waiting for the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai to return from injury, Klopp believes everyone benefited from a break from the intensity of the Premier League.

“Friday was the third session since we are back and you could see it was really important to everybody, for everybody,” he said.

“As much as they like going on holiday, the thing they like most is actually playing football and that’s really cool to see.

“Nobody wanted to have three or four weeks, we are in the middle of a season (and) we love what happened so far.

“We are looking forward to what’s coming up, but these four days were just top class. We had a break and now we can go for the rest of the season.”

Victory at the Vitality Stadium would bring up 22 points away from home, just one short of their previous campaign, and Liverpool are already 16 points ahead of where they were at this point last season.

However, Bournemouth are one of the top flight’s form teams with six wins and a draw from their last eight league matches and have not lost at home in the league since October 21 after new manager Adoni Iraola turned things around after just one win in their first 11 matches.

“When you don’t play them at the weekend I really have time to admire what he (Iraola) is doing there,” said Klopp.

“They turned it around – that’s real coaching – and he found a way to set this team up.

“It will be a difficult game, but I don’t think they are now preparing the game against us and thinking, ‘Thank God Liverpool is coming’ because we feel good as well.”

Part of Bournemouth’s recent success is the contribution from former Liverpool forward Dominic Solanke, who has eight goals in as many league appearances, and 12 in 19 top-flight league games so far after just one in 21 league games for the Reds.

“He made the absolute right decision to go,” said Klopp.

“He went the hard way, trying here, realising, ‘Maybe a bit too early’ and then going to Bournemouth.”

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz is one goal away from recording his best scoring campaign (six) since joining in January 2022.

After going through the trauma of having his parents kidnapped in his native Colombia, he was reunited with his family for Christmas on Merseyside and Klopp has seen a change in the winger’s demeanour.

“After after the most challenging time of his life, which nobody is prepared for, he’s back. You can see it in each training session it’s different,” said Klopp.

“He cannot not smile when he is on the ball. There were a few weeks where I missed that a little bit, but the smile is back.”

Jurgen Klopp has opened the door for Sven-Goran Eriksson to spend the day as Liverpool manager.

Eriksson revealed earlier this month that he had in a “best case” scenario around a year to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

During a round of TV interviews upon revealing his health issues, former England boss Eriksson disclosed his lifelong love for Liverpool and how he always wished to be manager of the club.

Robbie Fowler, who played under Eriksson for England, hinted on X, formerly know as Twitter, that a call had been made for the 75-year-old Swede to manage a Liverpool Legends team at Anfield in 2024, but the current Reds boss has gone a step further.

“I don’t know him, unfortunately not,” Klopp was quoted as saying in various newspapers.

“I know him without knowing him, we never met.

“Yes, it was obviously very touching news when you heard about it. I heard for the first time about his admiration or love for Liverpool and that he was a fan for his whole life.

“So, I heard now about the legends match and stuff like that. I’m not in charge of that so I can’t say anything about that.

“The only thing I can say is absolutely he’s very welcome to come here and he can sit in my seat in my office and do my job for a day if he wants. That’s no problem.

“Being on the sideline might be a little bit more difficult. To have him here and show him everything and how this wonderful club developed over the years, I think that’s definitely something we will tell him.

“He can come over and have a few wonderful hours here, I’m sure.”

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will breath a sigh of relief at the news the hamstring injury Mohamed Salah suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations is only a strain and nothing more significant.

Salah sparked fears of a potentially lengthy lay-off after limping off in the first half of Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Ghana.

However, the results of a scan have revealed a muscle strain which Egypt say will rule the Liverpool striker out of their next two games.

That means the 31-year-old will definitely miss Egypt’s final Group B fixture against already-qualified Cape Verde on Monday and, if they progress from Group B, their last-16 tie as well.

“The X-rays that Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egyptian national team, underwent, showed that he suffered a hamstring strain,” an Egyptian Football Association statement read.

“And he will miss the team’s next two matches in the Africa Cup of Nations against Cape Verde, and then the round of 16 match in the event of qualification.”

Egypt are currently second in Group B after two draws with Mozambique and Ghana and will face leaders Cape Verde knowing only a victory will guarantee their passage into the knockout stages.

Salah will be restricted to a watching role and it could also be the case for a potential last-16 tie at the end of January, but Liverpool manager Klopp will be pleased the injury to his forward is not set to be a long-term issue.

Earlier on Friday, Klopp had earlier admitted his shock at Salah’s injury taking into account the forward’s impeccable fitness record.

In six and a half seasons since arriving at Anfield, Salah has missed just 10 Premier League matches – one of which was due to Covid-19 and another because of concussion.

So the sight of Salah being forced off just before half-time unsurprisingly set alarm bells ringing.

“In the moment it was a shock. He felt it and we all know how rarely Mo needs to go off so there was definitely something,” said Klopp.

“I don’t have any more information right now. I spoke with him last night. They are doing further assessments and then we will know more.”

While Liverpool did not expect Salah to return until early next month, any absence from their talisman would be a blow as they seek to maintain top spot in the Premier League.

They head to Bournemouth on Sunday looking to extend their advantage to five points but will do so without a number of players.

Wataru Endo is at the Asian Cup with Japan while full-backs Andy Robertson (shoulder), Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee) and Kostas Tsimikas (collarbone), midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Stefan Bajcetic (adductor) and Ben Doak (knee) and defender Joel Matip (ACL) are all at various stages in their recovery.

Robertson, Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai are closest to a return but the earliest will be Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Fulham.

“They’re all positive but not ready. They’re all getting closer and closer and closer and some of them might be in team training next week but for the Bournemouth game I don’t expect anyone back,” said Klopp.

“After Bournemouth maybe for Fulham we will see how the boys do, but they are all close. Trent close, Dom close, Robbo close.”

Jordan Henderson hinted at regrets over his move to Saudi Arabia as he was formally unveiled as an Ajax player on Friday.

The former Liverpool captain quit Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq this week less than six months into a lucrative three-year deal.

The 33-year-old has faced fierce criticism over his career choices since last summer and, for the first time, he came close to admitting an error as he was presented at a press conference in Amsterdam.

“In life if you want to call them regrets or mistakes, you can call them that,” Henderson said at a press conference in Amsterdam. “But, at the same time, they’re only mistakes if you don’t learn from them.

“Looking back, at the time, obviously it was a big decision. It was a decision I felt was right for me and my family at the time, but things happen. Things change quickly in football.

“I had to make another decision and this is the one I felt was right decision for me. I felt the opportunity was too big to turn down, playing at this great football club.”

The failure of Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia has not only negatively affected his reputation but also that of the country’s football league.

Henderson did not criticise the standard of the competition or the lifestyle he has experienced in recent months, but neither did he offer a ringing endorsement to any other players weighing up a switch.

Henderson, who has signed a two-and-a-half year deal at Ajax, said: “I would definitely not sit here and speak badly of the league or the clubs or anything like that. I’ve got full respect for the opportunity that I was given to go there.

“But everyone’s different. You look at people who are there, big players who are there now, who are loving every second of it, staying there for a long period of time.

“But you might get others that don’t settle or something happens in their private life, whatever it may be, and things change quickly.”

On his decision to leave, he added: “It had nothing to do with anything else other than a football decision. I felt it was a perfect opportunity for me to come to such a huge club.”

Having previously been a strong advocate of LGBTQ+ rights, Henderson was widely condemned for moving to Saudi Arabia, where same-sex relationships are illegal.

The huge wages he was reportedly offered also brought criticism he was putting money before morals.

He was booed by England supporters when he returned home to play for the international side last autumn.

The midfielder concedes that whole experience has been a bruising one.

“I’m not going to say I haven’t been hurt,” he said. “I understand it, but I do care. People might think I don’t but I actually do care about other people.

“I do think a lot about football and how I treat other people and have respect for other people. So it does hurt, of course, but at the same time I totally respect their opinions and how they view me as a person.

“I just had to obviously take it on the chin and that’s all I’ve continued to do. I’ve never tried to hurt anybody. That was never my intention, ever.

“If people feel a type of way towards me then all I can do is apologise for that. I’m hurt but it’s part and parcel of life and football.

“It makes you stronger and I just want to concentrate on getting back to playing football with Ajax and doing my best for this football club.”

Henderson will not be eligible to make his Ajax debut at home to RKC Waalwijk this weekend as he awaits a work permit but he is eager to get started.

He said: “I’ll eat, breathe and sleep Ajax and dedicate myself every single day, every single session to try to be better and help this team and this club be better.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits Mohamed Salah’s impeccable fitness record meant the hamstring problem he felt on international duty was a “shock”.

In six and a half seasons since arriving at Anfield the 31-year-old has missed just 10 Premier League matches – one of which was due to Covid-19 and another because of concussion.

So the sight of Salah being forced off just before half-time in Egypt’s 2-2 draw with Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations unsurprisingly set alarm bells ringing.

“In the moment it was a shock. He felt it and we all know how rarely Mo needs to go off so there was definitely something,” said Klopp.

“I don’t have any more information right now. I spoke with him last night. They are doing further assessments and then we will know more.”

After the game Egypt coach Rui Vitoria said he hoped Salah’s injury was not a big problem, adding: “I think it’s not dangerous, but let’s see if Salah recovers.”

Klopp said they would await further updates before deciding whether to send club medical staff to the Ivory Coast.

“It’s too early. We will see. It depends on what the diagnosis is,” he added.

“They (Egypt) will do an ultrasound and an MRI and then we will know what it is and what Egypt’s plans are.”

While Liverpool did not expect Salah to return until early next month, any injury would be a blow as they seek to maintain top spot in the Premier League.

They head to Bournemouth on Sunday looking to extend their advantage to five points but will do so without a number of players.

Wataru Endo is at the Asian Cup with Japan while full-backs Andy Robertson (shoulder), Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee) and Kostas Tsimikas (collarbone), midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Stefan Bajcetic (adductor) and Ben Doak (knee) and defender Joel Matip (ACL) are all at various stages in their recovery.

Robertson, Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai are closest to a return but the earliest will be Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Fulham.

“They’re all positive but not ready. They’re all getting closer and closer and closer and some of them might be in team training next week but for the Bournemouth game I don’t expect anyone back,” said Klopp.

“After Bournemouth maybe for Fulham we will see how the boys do, but they are all close. Trent close, Dom close, Robbo close.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has defended Jordan Henderson’s right to make his own career choices even if they are not always “perfect”.

Klopp’s former Champions League and Premier League-winning captain has left Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq just six months after departing Anfield to return to Europe with Ajax.

Henderson’s lucrative move to a country where same-sex relationships are illegal was heavily criticised in the UK as he had previously been a high-profile supporter of LGBTQ+ rights.

And while Klopp avoided the controversy which surrounded that, he said the 33-year-old was entitled to go where he felt it benefited him the most.

“People are really critical of Hendo about the move, first there and now coming back,” said Klopp.

“I don’t know how we dare, always judging these kind things. We have one life and we have to make decisions and sometimes our decisions are perfect in the first case and sometimes it is different after you made them.

“He was there and it was 100 per cent an interesting experience and I spoke to him and 99 per cent of football things there were absolutely fine.

“There are many things to develop in the future but (he was) never really critical or saying: ‘It’s not possible that that’s not there’, but then he thought it is better for him and the family to come back to Europe and now he is at Ajax Amsterdam, a sensational club in a difficult moment.

“I’m happy for him as it looks like he is happy and that is the most important thing to me.

“He is going to Holland where he can enjoy his football definitely again. The family will feel wonderful because the city is absolutely outstanding.

“I will definitely talk to him in these few days but he has a few things to do which are more important.”

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