Salah's future not a distraction for Liverpool, says Klopp

Jurgen Klopp has played down suggestions that Mohamed Salah’s contractual situation could have a negative impact on Liverpool’s season.

The Egyptian has been in the spotlight ever since an interview he gave in Spain where he talked in glowing terms about Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Salah has two and a half years to run on his present contract, so there is no pressing need to find a fresh agreement, and Klopp is not concerned about the situation becoming a distraction.

"I don't think so," Klopp said when asked if Salah’s situation could impact the play of the team. “That's a normal thing as well in the world of football.

"It's not that we go out and talk about things we think are important, it's pretty rare. But we get asked questions and we answer and that's the story and [it looks like] we started the conversation.

"In most cases, it's not like that. No, I don't think it will disrupt the season."

Salah was a substitute for the Reds’ shock loss to Burnley at home on Thursday, but he is set to be restored to the starting XI for the FA Cup clash with Manchester United on Sunday.

“It makes it absolutely likely that Mo will start,” Klopp said. “I don't think that is a massive secret."

The Reds face United on the back of a run of only one win from their past six games in all competitions, and Klopp is hopeful his side have hit the bottom and can begin to bounce back.

"We lost that game and it was a really low point,” Klopp added. "When I think back I can't find a reason why we lost that game but we lost it. It happened and sometimes you need a really low point to change things properly and that's for sure [what] we will go for now.

"If we would have won in a bad game the world would have said, 'OK, it's not the football they usually play but they are back on the result path', but in the long term it would not help.

"It can be a real help if we use it. I can imagine what a lot of people think about us in the moment.

"But people don't change overnight. People sometimes face challenges they are not immediately ready for and sometimes you don't even know a challenge will come up.”