Pundit claims Liverpool will not win the Premier League without 31-year-old superstar

BBC football pundit Garth Crooks reckons Liverpool won't be able to win the Premier League title if Mohamed Salah were to leave the club next summer.

Salah got on the scoresheet yet again with a venomous strike against Arsenal to help the Reds secure a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday, December 23. The 'Egyptian King' has been in stellar form this season, netting 16 goals and providing eight assists in 25 appearances across all competitions.

The 31-year-old looked so impressive that Crooks opted to include him in his Premier League Team of the Week. The pundit explained his reasoning, writing (via BBC Sport):

"If Liverpool intend on winning the Premier League - and it is a growing possibility - they have to wrap Salah in cotton wool. He is back to what he was in his first season at Anfield. The way he dismantled Arsenal's Zinchenko before smashing the ball past a helpless David Raya in goal must have been terrifying for any defender watching."

He added:

"The problem for Liverpool is, who do they replace Salah with when he's gone? Should the Saudi Pro League rekindle their interest in the Egypt captain - for the astronomical amounts they are prepared to pay - at the end of the season, I cannot see the player or the club being in a position to refuse. Liverpool will not win the title without him, so they had better get a move on."

Salah has established himself as one of the best players in the world over the past six years at Anfield. He has scored 202 goals and registered 87 assists in 330 appearances across all competitions. He was an integral part of the Reds winning their first league title in 30 years during the 2019-20 campaign.

Saudi Pro League (SPL) champions Al-Ittihad were interested in the Egyptian's services over the summer, even reportedly bidding £150 million - a bid the Reds immediately turned down. The SPL side are expected to return next summer to tempt Salah away from Anfield, placing his future at the club in jeopardy.

While directly replacing a player of Salah's caliber will be next to impossible, Jurgen Klopp and Co. will be aiming to win the title this season. They are currently second in the table with 39 points from 18 games, one point below leaders Arsenal.

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp provides Diogo Jota injury update ahead of Burnley clash

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has refused to rule out the chance of Diogo Jota featuring against Burnley. The two sides are set to face each other in the Premier League at Turf Moor on Tuesday, December 26.

Jota hasn't featured for the Reds since suffering a muscle injury during their 1-1 draw against Manchester City a month ago. The Portugal international has missed eight games for the Merseysiders and finds himself in a race against time to be fit against Burnley following Luis Diaz's injury.

During the Burnely pre-match press conference, Klopp said (via Liverpool's official website):

"I don’t want to rule out anybody now. We will see. He didn’t train with the team yet and we have only one proper session, so it would be a surprise – but maybe I will be surprised and all fine."

"I don’t know. I saw him [on Friday]; he didn’t train with the team but the session I saw was really intense, but I didn’t ask yet who will be available. The medical department will tell me and then I will know more."

Jota had been having an excellent season until his injury, scoring eight goals in 17 appearances across all competitions.