Liverpool round-up: Klopp reacts; Salah injury latest; defenders targeted

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Saturday night was one for Liverpool to forget as they crashed out of the Champions League with a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid and manager Jurgen Klopp was in no mood to hide his emotions after the final whistle.

“I’m not fine, I’m the opposite of fine, but I try to be professional. I said it a few times, I’m turning 51 next month or so, I lost games in my life before, I won games in my life before – I know how to deal with that. What you cannot avoid is the feeling you have the night after the game,” he explained to the club’s website.

“We all feel really, really bad, and the way home will not be the best trip we ever had in our life but we have to accept it now. We wanted everything and got nothing, or minus something with the injury of Mo.

“At the end, it’s a football game, we tried everything to win it, that’s why I wouldn’t change anything in my preparations. I did the best I could and it was not good enough and I have to accept that, that’s it.”

Klopp also gave an injury update on star man Mohamed Salah to the club’s official website, with speculation that a suspected dislocated shoulder could lead to him missing the World Cup with Egypt this summer.

It would be a devastating blow for the forward after an incredible campaign, but Klopp insisted that the club did not yet know the extent of the injury. He confirmed that Salah had gone to hospital for an X-ray.

On a more speculative note, news agency EFE, as reported by America TV, claim that the ex-Roma man has spoken to his family on Sunday to tell them that he will still be fit enough to travel to Russia.

Away from the devastation of Champions League final defeat, The Independent say that Liverpool are considering moves for Burnley’s James Tarkowski and Newcastle’s Jamal Lascelles to strengthen their back line ahead of another assault on the Premier League next season.

There is no doubting that the Reds need to add more strength in depth over the summer, but given Dejan Lovren’s upturn in form towards the end of the campaign any player coming in will have a battle on their hands to line up alongside Virgil Van Dijk. With Joel Matip soon back from injury, it will be interesting to see just how much Liverpool would be prepared to spend.