OPINION
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should heed Tony Cascarino’s advice regarding Sadio Mane even if it would see him have to take a risk.
The talkSPORT pundit suggested that Mane should play no part in the Reds’ start of the season as he needs a break after reaching the final of the African Cup of Nations.
“Well obviously you’ve got to give the lad a break, he’s had a huge season,” said Cascarino on talkSPORT (Saturday, July 20th, 7:47 am).
“Played a lot of football for Liverpool and Liverpool are so reliant on their front three that he has played so many games for Liverpool.
“He’s had an outstanding season, Champions League final and all those games, and then he goes away.
“So you got a real issue on how you get him right for the start of the season, and the answer is Georgie, you don’t think about the start of the season for Sadio Mane.
“He’s got to come in after two or three weeks later than everybody else, he has to have a break now.”
Mane’s Senegal lost 1-0 to Algeria in the African Cup of Nations final on Saturday and it’s fair to say that the attacker is in need of a rest.
The 27-year-old played 50 times across all competitions for the Reds in his latest campaign, scoring 26 goals and assisting five, then featured in six of Senegal’s African Cup of Nations fixtures.
While Mane is a key player for the Reds, he averaged a rating of 7.43 across his league outings last season and racked up six Man of the Match awards in the process (Source: WhoScored), if he doesn’t get enough rest then he could easily pick up an injury if utilised in the first few weeks of the season.
Klopp may love to have Mane to call upon for the opening games after all the Reds have some tough fixtures as they have to face Manchester City in the Community Shield and Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup, but he has to take a risk on his side coping without the attacker.
After all, if Mane played in either of those games or even started the league clash with Arsenal on the 24th of August, he’d be at risk of picking up a knock and being ruled out of matches in the near future.
So with that said, Klopp should heed Cascarino’s advice and just ignore Mane for the opening weeks of the season as it’s better for the player.
