Mamadou Sakho appears to be persona non grata at Anfield, but all might not be lost.
The French defender is yet to make an appearance for the Reds this season, and has divided opinion for a 3am Snapchat tirade in which he hit out at being exiled from both the first team and the Under-23s.
Two of Sakho’s compatriots, Christophe Dugarry and Emmanuel Petit, both criticised the behaviour of the former Paris Saint-Germain centre-back, while even those who sympathised with his sentiments weren’t entirely supportive of the manner or timing.
However, for all the criticism sent Sakho’s way, it seems like it’s worked. Well, to a degree, anyway.
The 26-year-old has been named in Michael Beale’s Liverpool Under-23 squad for the Premier League International Cup meeting with Wolfsburg in Tranmere tonight.
Sakho will partner Tiago Ilori in defence, with a number of other players with first-team experience – including Spanish midfielder Pedro Chirivella and young Englishman Cameron Brannagan – also in the starting XI.
Now, we’re not suggesting you have a go at your boss on Snapchat with the expectation of getting results – we’re just saying it might be working for Sakho. Make of that what you will.
#LFCU23s team to face @VfL_Wolfsburg this evening! pic.twitter.com/fjl1eYOIpI
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 28, 2016
Liverpool have been drawn with Wolfsburg, Leicester City and Porto in the Premier League International Cup, a Europe-wide competition organised by the Premier League with the top eight Under-21 sides in the country taking on some of the best Under-23 squads on the continent.
Last year’s tournament was won by Villarreal, with Chelsea the only one of eight English Under-23 squads to reach the semi-finals.
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