KEY POINTS

  • Jurgen Klopp expected to have Sadio Mane available despite hamstring injury but admits team can "still play football".
  • Reds boss believes clash is a "big opportunity" to put one over the joint Premier League leaders.

Liverpool will have Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino available to face Manchester United despite the pair only returning from international duty with Brazil less than 48 hours before the game at Anfield.

The pair both featured in the climax to South American World Cup qualifying during the international fortnight, despite the five-time winners having already booked their place in Russia next summer.

Coutinho and Fimino only arrived back in Liverpool on Thursday [12 October] but manager Jurgen Klopp has no concerns over their condition and will have no hesitation in playing them against United.

"We work close together with other clubs to bring South American players home," the Liverpool boss said. "Phil played two games, Roberto five minutes. They had a long flight.. but it was pretty comfortable. I saw the price! They should be okay."

Sadio Mane is the only new addition to the Liverpool treatment table after he picked up a hamstring injury while on duty with Senegal. The 25-year-old is set to miss six weeks of action though Klopp initially envisaged he would be able to face United when the injury occurred.

"It's not only Sadio, it's Fellaini and a lot of other players," he told the media before the visit of Jose Mourinho's side. "It's Sadio but nobody else, which is the good news. "Thank God we can still play football without Sadio. Lots of teams got injuries from this international break."

He added on the official Liverpool website: "I had a chat immediately after the game with Sadio, how I always do with the boys. It was not clear it would be that serious, but he said 'I feel something in my hamstring', so it was clear it would be at least close for the United game - and now we know it's much longer. That's not cool, but we have to deal with it – how we always have to do."

The Reds have endured an indifferent start to the season having won just five of their 12 competitive this term, shipping 20 goals in the process. But Klopp believes the visit of unbeaten United represents a great opportunity to take all three points against their fiercest rivals.

"It's a big, big, big, big opportunity," he added. "Performances are not as bad as people think. We are not so weak we don't have a chance against Manchester United. We are in a really good moment, not results wise but performances. It's our stadium, it's Anfield, the first game with the Kenny Dalglish Stand and we want to use this power."

Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho
The Brazil pair will return for their clubs despite their international exploits. Getty Images