"That's a huge, huge boost" - Paul Robinson gives Liverpool title race verdict after James Pearce update 

Paul Robinson believes Liverpool can challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title. He said this, citing the return of certain players to the squad as a 'huge, huge boost' for Jurgen Klopp's team.

According to The Athletic's James Pearce, the Reds will see Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita come back into the squad soon. All four players are currently on respective national duties at AFCON.

The players will probably be fit to play Premier League games by February 10.

In an exclusive conversation with Football Insider, Robinson spoke at length about the Premier League title race. He believes the return of certain key players will give manager Jurgen Klopp a huge boost. He expressed that only Liverpool can challenge Manchester City in the title race.

He added:

“That’s a huge, huge boost. Let’s be honest, when you look at the table it is hard to see anyone but City winning the title. It is certainly theirs to lose. If anyone is capable of putting a run together though, it is Liverpool. If they are going to go on a winning run they will need their best players fit and available. Liverpool are the only team that can challenge them.''

He further added:

“The holy grail for Pep Guardiola is the Champions League. He has won numerous Premier Leagues. At the end of the day, he was brought in to win the Champions League.''

Robinson believes Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola might rebalance his team in the Premier League to focus on the Champions League this season. He further added:

“It will be interesting to see if their form is effected by the Champions League knockout stages. Will they take their eye off the Premier League? Guardiola may rotate his team for the Premier League games. I’m sure the Champions League will be their priority."

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Liverpool star Sadio Mane hospitalized after a head injury during his international duty with Senegal

Sadio Mane sustained a head injury during Senegal's match against Cape Verde in the AFCON on Wednesday. Mane was hospitalized after getting subbed off in the second half of the game. The 29-year-old Senegal international collided with opposition goalkeeper Vozinha, resulting in a head injury.

However, the referees in the game allowed Mane to continue on the pitch despite such a serious collision between the two players. Mane scored the winner a few minutes after getting injured and helped his team qualify for the next round. The two players are now under observation in hospital and are reported to be fit.