Mamadou Sakho says Ben Arfa is a tougher opponent than either Messi or Ronaldo
Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho has said that fellow Frenchman Hatem Ben Arfa caused him more problems than either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. The duo has won eight Balon d’Or awards between them but, Sakho feels that his countryman is just as capable.
"I’ve played against Messi and Ronaldo, maybe they were not in their best form against me, but the opponents who has impressed me more was Hatem Ben Arfa at Lyon," the former Paris Saint-Germain defender told BeIN Sport.
"What he can do on the field is exceptional."
Sakho also said that France was determined to succeed in the Euros.
“The Euros will be very exciting - we’re not going just to play. We want the trophy to stay in France," he continued. "Our strength is our collective, we have players who are ready to sacrifice themselves for the team."
After a few indifferent seasons, Ben Arfa has put in some stunning performances for Nice in Ligue 1 this season. With the Euros just around the corner, the talented Frenchman will be hoping to stake a claim for a place in the Euros squad.
Emre Can ruled out for 4 weeks
Liverpool midfielder Emre Can is set to be out of first team action for four to six weeks due to an ankle injury. The injury was sustained in the Europa League quarter-final second-leg match against Borussia Dortmund.
The 22-year-old midfielder was substituted in the closing stages of the match and the star has reportedly injured his ligaments. Liverpool did end up winning the match 4-3 after being down 3-1 on in what was a thrilling encounter.
While a return to action before the end of the season has not been ruled out, it is expected that the German midfielder will miss out on the rest of the season.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp spoke about Can’s injury and stated, "Emre is injured. He will take time. It'll be for the next four or five weeks so we should not say the season is finished."
Emre Can adds to Liverpool’s injury woes this season. They have suffered an alarming 42 injuries this season as Can joins club captain Jordan Henderson, who is also set to be out of action till the end of the season with damaged knee ligaments.
Injuries to both midfielders has left Jurgen Klopp with few options in central midfield. Lucas Leiva and Irish midfielder Joe Allen could fill in the gaps created by the absence of players. Jurgen Klopp has experimented with two and three players in midfield of late and some tactical tinkering might be required to deal with this issue.