Sadio Mané Undergoes Scan Following Shoulder Injury

Liverpool fans have in recent years grown accustomed to any good news coming with an at least equal dose of bad, and like clockwork, today there’s some bad news on the Sadio Mané front. Coming off one of the best debut performances in recent memory against Arsenal on the weekend, the attacker was forced to leave training today with a shoulder injury.

The club’s £34M signing went immediately to Spure hospital for scans, and has since been seen returning to the club with his arm in a sling. Early reports that he may have a dislocated shoulder has of yet been neither confirmed nor denied, though if it is a dislocation, Mané could be set for between one and two months on the sidelines depending on the severity.

The hope, then, will be that the injury is less severe than that. Though it seems likely that even in the best case scenario, Mané won’t be expected to take part against Burnley on the weekend in the league or Burton Albion on Tuesday in the EFL Cup. In the worst case scenario, he could be out until early October, when Liverpool face Swansea.

In the meantime, with Emre Can nearing full fitness following a late return to pre-season training, a tactical reshuffle and return to the 4-2-3-1 seems likeliest. Other possibilities could include deploying Divock Origi on the wing or continuing to start Alberto Moreno at left back and moving James Milner back up the pitch.