Sadio Mane picked up a knock against Chelsea. (Source: Twitter)Liverpool will be without injured forwards Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri for Wednesday’s third-round League Cup tie at MK Dons, the club’s assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders confirmed on Tuesday.
Mane is yet to recover from a knock he received in Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League win at Chelsea, which resulted in a dead leg, while Shaqiri injured his calf during a training session.
With four league goals, Mane is Liverpool’s top goalscorer this season alongside Mohamed Salah, while Shaqiri is yet to start a game for the Anfield club this season.
“Yesterday, towards the end of the training, Shaq felt his calf stiffen up a little bit,” Lijnders told the club’s website. “He couldn’t continue and a scan showed he had a little tear there. We need to wait a couple of days, but for sure he is not in contention for tomorrow. He needs some rest, so he will not be involved.”
“Sadio has a knock, of course, but he looks good. With having today off and having treatment tomorrow, I think on Thursday he will be back in training again, so that looks all good.”
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker and striker Divock Origi continue to remain sidelined with calf and ankle injuries, respectively, and will not be available for the match against the third-tier outfit.
Paul Pogba set for return against Rochdale
Paul Pogba. (Source: Reuters)Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has indicated midfielder Paul Pogba will return to the squad for Wednesday’s League Cup match against Rochdale.
Pogba has been out of action since the 1-1 draw with Southampton on August 31 due to an ankle injury, but is hoping to regain full fitness ahead of the Premier League visit of Arsenal on Monday.
“He’ll probably get some minutes against Rochdale. But we definitely think he’s ready for Arsenal,” said Solskjaer.
Mason Greenwood was absent from Sunday’s league defeat at West Ham United with a bout of tonsillitis, and the teenager will be hoping to be back in the squad against Rochdale. Luke Shaw (hamstring) and Anthony Martial (thigh) will both miss the midweek clash as they continue to recover from injuries picked up before the international break.
Marcus Rashford is also facing an extended spell on the sidelines after picking up a groin injury in a 2-0 defeat by West Ham.Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong could return to the line-up against Rochdale after making their full debuts against Astana in the Europa League last week, while Jesse Lingard is in line for a first start in over a month after recovering from illness.
