Senegal forward Sadio Mane will face a difficult start to the 2019-20 campaign says Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The forward will be in the thick of the action when Senegal battle Algeria in final of the African Cup of Nations on Friday, July 19, with Liverpool squad members back in pre-season training.
Mane is expected to get an extended vacation before joining the rest of Liverpool gang ahead of their Community Shield showdown with Manchester City on August 4.
And the German tactician believes the match coming up in 14 days' time might be coming too soon for Mane, with the Reds delaying a decision on when the Senegalese will be ready for action, as they kick-off their Premier League campaign against Norwich on August 9.
"With Sadio, we have to see about him after the final - how he is feeling and stuff like that," Klopp was quoted as saying to Liverpoolfc.com.
"It will be really difficult. 16 days before we play City, his season is finished. We will have to make a decision, but we haven't made it yet."
Speaking further, Klopp revealed that the trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Alisson Becker will be hitting Reds pre-season camp in Evian later this July.
The trio were handed an extension after participating in major international tournaments, with Firmino and Alisson claiming the Copa America with Brazil, while Salah could not achieve the same with Egypt at African Cup of Nations.
"Mo and the Brazilians will come for Evian.
"It means then we have nearly a week until City [in the Community Shield], a strong 12 days until Norwich and then 15 or 16 days until Chelsea [in the Super Cup].
"We have to see. The good thing is, when you have a short break you don't lose a lot.
"They needed three weeks and so we told them [to take it], but they train now again already.
"I would have preferred it if they had come back after a week, but that would make absolutely no sense! So, [they have] these three weeks and then we will have them here for pre-season," Klopp summed up.
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