Manchester City v Liverpool preview: Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in contention
Wednesday 25 July 2018 08:12, UK
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are in contention to return for Liverpool as they take on Manchester City in the International Champions Cup in New Jersey on Thursday morning (1.05am BST).
The attacking duo linked up with the team last week after their involvement at the World Cup and could make their first pre-season appearance against last season's Premier League champions.
Managr Jurgen Klopp has admitted his expensively-assembled squad are preparing for a season where the expectation will be to end their barren run without a trophy.
He said: "People will say that. It is the next step and we need to be ready for that. I cannot give guarantees here but I understand if people think that. I know about the expectations and that is completely normal.
"First of all we have to play the football that gives us an opportunity to win something. We cannot talk about winning something before we start the season.
"I am confident we can build on last season. It's not that we lost things completely but you have to work on it to get it back. The football the boys played last year was not easy.
"There was a lot of work invested into playing like that. That's what we will do again. I am not in doubt about our basis or
that we will reach it again."
Like Liverpool, Man City also lost their opening ICC game to Borussia Dortmund, in which Riyad Mahrez and Joe Hart featured, and both could be involved once again against the Reds.
Mahrez has been the only addition to City's squad so far this summer, while Liverpool have spent approaching £200m on new signings since the end of last season.
City boss Pep Guardiola said he could sympathise with Klopp's decision to spend big in new arrivals, with their rivals splashing the cash ahead of the new campaign.
He said: "Every club, do what they believe, and I understand it. When Liverpool believe they need to spend on these players, it's because they believe it's for the best for them.
"Last season we increased the levels of the Premier League - 100 points. The level is here, now we try to take the level, every team tries to do better and better."
Team news
Marko Grujic could feature for Liverpool, but Joel Matip has returned home after picking up an injury in a 3-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund last week. Georginio Wijnaldum also faces a late fitness test.
Xherdan Shaqiri has flown to New Jersey to link up with his new team-mates but the game could come too soon for him, while new goalkeeper Alisson and Roberto Firmino will not meet up with the Reds until their second training camp in France.
Man City are still without the majority of their first team following the World Cup, but Aymeric Laporte should come into contention after missing the previous game through injury.
