LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp is happy for Sadio Mane to play for Senegal in its crucial World Cup qualifiers, even though the winger has only just returned from a hamstring injury sustained on international duty last month.
Mane has not played since Oct. 7, when he was hurt in a World Cup qualifying game against Cape Verde. He was ruled out for six weeks by Liverpool, but has made a quicker-than-expected recovery and could feature on Saturday in the English Premier League match against West Ham.
Mane has been selected by Senegal for back-to-back qualifiers against South Africa, with his national team needing two points to clinch its place in the World Cup in Russia.
Klopp says playing for Senegal will help Mane “get some rhythm” and is urging Senegal to not play the forward in the second match should it secure qualification with a game to spare.
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