Back in April, Trent Alexander Arnold told a great story about Liverpool’s first day of pre-season training for 2017/18.
Liverpool, like many clubs, run their players hard in the early days of pre-season and many of the squad find it tough. Mo Salah was absolutely loving it.
“The first day was just a running session,” Alexander-Arnold told Copa90.
“Not a race, just to see how far you can run really. It gets harder each lap you do so you end up doing quite a bit of running and you drop out when you can’t go any further.
“So everyone has dropped out and it’s just me and him left and he didn’t stop. Nobody was running against him anymore and it was just that hunger to win and to just carry on.
“That’s when I saw it. He just wouldn’t stop… it just seemed his limit was above everyone else’s.”
That session was a precursor for a season in which Salah was Liverpool’s undoubted star. Philippe Coutinho left Anfield for Barcelona and the Brazilian was hardly missed as Salah racked up the goals and assists.
Just as everything was going so well, the 26-year-old dislocated his shoulder in the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid. He tried to play through the pain but was replaced before the half-hour mark and the Reds attack was significantly blunted.
All eyes were then on that injured shoulder and whether Salah could properly perform for Eygpt at the World Cup. He missed out on their opening group game and did not look fully fit when he did make his two starts, even though he found the net again. August to April was pure joy but May and June proved frustrating.
If you expected the former Chelsea and Roma star to use this summer to rest up, it looks like you’re mistake. Salah returned to training at the start of last week and is already blitzing the competition.
As part of Liverpool training on Friday, Salah, Gigi Wijnaldum, Sadio Mané and more were put through their paces in a lactate fitness test. This basically involves the players doing laps and giving small blood samples afterward. If the level of lactic acid in their blood is too high, they must sit out the next lap. If not, they can go on.
In the group Salah was in, himself, Mané and Marko Grujic were the last men standing. Grujic then dropped out and the other two wanted to keep going but the Liverpool trainers said otherwise. Salah was none too pleased.
“Can we do it again?” 20? Just 20?” he asks, clearly wanting to get out for another run.
The Egyptian is told that it would be best for him to take more fluids on before getting out on the pitch for another run.
Sitting back, he will not let the matter drop.
“After an hour. After an hour’s rest?”
Upon being told that he can get out and train some more after resting up, that Salah smile is back in full force.
Credit: LFC TV44 goals in all competitions last season but Salah is not going to rest on those laurels.
The reasons for Liverpool fans to be optimistic about next season are growing by the week.
You can watch the full fitness test video here:
