Mamadou Sakho is back in full Liverpool training, return date named

Mamadou Sakho is back in full training following the knee injury he picked up against Crystal Palace earlier in the season.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed the news, although won’t be selecting the Frenchman today at home to West Brom.

“Mama had his first training session with the team yesterday,” the manager told the Echo.

“If nothing happens and he carries on in training, that’s what he needs now, and if he has no more issues with the knee, he can be a real option for us

“Next week he is available if nothing more happens.”

The 25-year-old had been Liverpool’s Player of the Season before injury struck, but his absence has enabled Dejan Lovren to finally start fulfilling his potential at the heart of defence.

The Croat has shown the kind on consistency under Klopp that we’d never previously seen, and now the manager has a dilemma about which two of Sakho, Lovren and Martin Skrtel will be his first choice pairing.

Skrtel’s always been the automatic selection, but Lovren’s recent form means it’s no guarantee that he’ll be the one to make way.

With multiple fixtures over the festive period, Klopp could rotate his central defensive options – but the position is hardly a tiring one – and many would prefer a regular pairing to develop an understanding.

Klopp hopeful Lovren injury isn't too severe

The centre-back will undergo a scan to reveal the extend of the damage to his knee, but the manager is optimistic over the outcome.

Jurgen Klopp is hopeful the injury to Dejan Lovren is not as severe as it seemed after the defender was stretchered off during Liverpool's 2-2 draw with West Brom. 

Lovren was in considerable pain and had to be replaced after 79 minutes following a nasty collision with Craig Gardner on Saturday, with the centre-back receiving lengthy treatment to his knee.

However, Klopp revealed Lovren wasn’t in too much agony post-match, though he admitted he would be waiting anxiously to see the medical report.

“We don’t know too much about it. It’s a cut, as everybody could see in the dressing room,” said Klopp.

“We hope it’s not too serious, but we have to wait for the scan. We have to wait overnight to see if it becomes swollen or not.

“I spoke to him and he felt not too bad. I saw the situation and anything could happen in that situation.

"Hopefully we’ll have a little bit more luck than in previous situations like this – but we have to wait.”

Lovren has started in Liverpool’s best two performances of the season, stationed at the heart of defence as the club blitzed Manchester City 4-1 and Southampton 6-1 away from home.

He was on the shortlist for the Premier League’s Player of the Month for November, and has worked hard to reverse his troubled opening to life on Merseyside.

Lovren has deputised well for Mamadou Sakho, who damaged his knee ligaments in the defeat to Crystal Palace at the start of November.

Slutsky: We don't know a huge amount about Wales or Slovakia

Fortunately Russia normally go into tournaments and are poor even if their expectations are high.

He added: "I don't know for the life of me what that squad will look like when I name it in May because I don't know what players will be available".

England is clear favorite to top that group. Vardy's goal devouring form has guided Leicester to the top of the Premier League table for the first time in 15 years.

Talk about the luck of the Irish. The team to avoid among the second seeds is Italy, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Sweden side, the Czech Republic and Poland all daunting prospects in the pot of third seeds.

"We will prepare for the (UEFA) EURO overseas", Slutsky said. "Not easy. There's no point me saying it is". Perhaps the toughest group of all, Sweden are up first on June 13 before Belgium in Bordeaux on June 18.

Mamadou Sakho's France are in Group A, with the hosts alongside Romania, Albania and Switzerland, while Adam Bogdan will aim to be in the Hungary party that is in Group F along with Portugal, Austria and Iceland.

"There are three games to play and we can't get caught up with just playing England", Coleman explained.

"We've given him the opportunities to prepare a bit differently and it's not pure propaganda".

Coleman is keen just to avoid England in the group phase for Wales' first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.

The two teams have met 101 times, with England winning 66, Wales 14 and 21 drawn.

"It's a great feeling". There is a concern that Wales over-rely on the Real Madrid star but, for the moment, Coleman is happy to ride the wave.

Hodgson's side meet Wales five days later, and end the group against Slovakia in St Etienne on Monday June 20.

Hodgson is braced for England being drawn in a group containing one of heir neighbours on Saturday.

"I will take what comes", the England manager said.

Spain is the only team to have won the competition consecutively - in 2008 and 2012.

A match against Poland might make for an interesting sideshow for Swansea City fans as it would pair Neil Taylor and Ashley Williams against team-mate Lukasz Fabianski.

However, Slutsky singled out the English as the team to beat in what he labelled as a fairly balanced group.

The 2014 World Cup champions open against Ukraine on June 12 in Lille.

Mark June 16, 2016 on your calendar.

"We know our opponents". Of course we can dream, like Greece and Denmark once did [winning Euro 2004 andEuro '92 respectively].

The FA will now start planning in earnest for the tournament, with officials making visits to the three venues for England's group games, while work is already under way on the training base at Chantilly.

Liverpool FC injury update: Dejan Lovren must wait 24 hours to discover his fate

Liverpool FC v West Bromwich Albion Premier League match at Anfield. Dejan Lovren injured

Liverpool face an anxious wait before discovering the extent of Dejan Lovren’s knee injury.

The £20million centre-back left Anfield on crutches on Sunday evening after being stretchered off in the 2-2 draw with West Brom.

Lovren needed stitches in a wound in his right knee following a reckless challenge from Baggies midfielder Craig Gardner.

The crestfallen Croatia international revealed that he won’t undergo a scan on Monday as medical staff want to wait for the swelling to go down so it’s likely to be Tuesday before he discovers his fate.

Liverpool's Dejan Lovren is carried off the pitch on a stretcher as manager Jurgen Klopp looks on during the Barclays Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

The length of Lovren’s absence will hinge on the extent of any ligament damage he suffered but he’s a major doubt for the Reds’ festive schedule.

The good news for Jurgen Klopp is that fellow centre-back Mamadou Sakho is on the brink of a return.

The France international is back in full training having missed the past five weeks with a knee injury.

Sakho is now set to secure an immediate recall to the starting line up when the Reds travel to Watford on Sunday.

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho closing on return from injury

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho says he is not far off a return to the first team after resuming training on Friday.

Sakho, 25, has been out of action since last month after damaging knee ligaments during Liverpool's 2-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace.

The France international's return would provide a timely boost for the Reds as another centre-back, Dejan Lovren, suffered an injury in the 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Mamadou Sakho has made seven Premier League appearances this season.

Speaking to French radio station RMC, Sakho said he was "very happy" with how his first training sessions had gone. "It went very well," he said.

"In light of the pictures, everyone thought I had done my cruciate ligament. Luckily I was spared that.

"In the end, I only had to spend five weeks out. I'm getting better and better."

Now in his third year at Anfield, Sakho previously said he felt like "a caged lion" when he was out of favour under Brendan Rodgers earlier this season.

But the Paris Saint-Germain academy graduate appears to be enjoying life under new Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

"You sense his charisma straightaway," Sakho said of Klopp. "He has a game plan and the players respect it. In his head, everything is clear.

"He's a very humane person. He discusses things and is respectful with everyone, from the secretary to the players including the youth team. "He manages to get the maximum out of all of us.

"For the moment, it's going quite well. I hope it will continue."