Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said he is not too concerned by Sadio Mane’s form, despite a lack of goals this season, and does not believe that the problem is due to the Senegal striker’s workload in the last few years.
Mane was one of Liverpool’s standout players last season as they won the Premier League title, but he has struggled to hit those heights in the current campaign, managing only 12 goals and seven assists in 39 games in all competitions.
“We all know how good Sadio is, what a player he is and what he did for us, but obviously the numbers scoring-wise aren’t great at the moment,” Klopp told reporters ahead of Saturday’s home game against Aston Villa.
“He knows that, and a player with the mindset of Sadio wants to do extremely well. That is the situation he is in, and each striker in the world knows these kind of situations. I’m not concerned but I see it. It is clear and we work on it.
“The schedule of the last three years was for a lot of players in world football… a tough one. For him as well, but I don’t think that is the reason.”
Klopp said Mane had no fitness problems and the 29-year-old’s form in front of goal could be preying on his mind.
“We all need breaks from time to time but it’s not a general problem, it’s just the situation. If you don’t score for a while, then strikers start thinking,” Klopp said.
“The moment you start thinking exactly the right things again then it will be fine again. We have to make sure that this time is not too far away.”