Mamadou Sakho is currently experiencing the worst period of his professional career, and it seems his troubles will not end this summer. Firstly, he tested positive for a fat-burning drug in March, which forced him to miss the Europa League final and Euro 2016 in his home country. Later, Sakho was sent home from the squad’s tour of the US after a disagreement with Jurgen Klopp.
Unfortunately, he has now picked up an Achilles injury that has sidelined him so far this season. With the summer signings of Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan seemingly ahead of him in the Reds’ defensive pecking order, it is not getting any easier at Anfield.
As if this spell hadn’t been bad enough for the 26-year-old, Klopp has now made Sakho available for loan. He has clearly stressed that the Frenchman needs to regain his fitness and rediscover some form after being out of contention for more than four months.
The defender was considered one of the club’s best players last season, and his form has drastically improved since Klopp’s appointment. However, no amount of talent can make up for poor attitude and behavior as far as the manager is concerned.
After turning up late for a team meal and missing a treatment session while the squad was on tour in America, Sakho is being punished as Klopp looks to set an example of how undisciplined players will be treated going forward.
The potential departure of Sakho remains a significant decision. The player is a fan favorite; one poll showed that 86% of Liverpool supporters voted against his potential loan move, indicating how important Sakho is to the club.
Given that Liverpool would need another defender if Sakho departs, Bruno Martins Indi has emerged as a possible option after Porto implied they deem the player expendable.
We will know more about the future of Mamadou Sakho in the coming days, but for now, at least, one piece of good news for the French defender is that the World Anti-Doping Agency has opted not to appeal against UEFA’s decision to dismiss proceedings against him, meaning he stands absolved of doping charges.
This decision will also be a cause of frustration for Sakho, given that these allegations were the trigger for the entire downward spiral he is currently experiencing.