Sadio Mane back stage as Liverpool prepare for Atletico Madrid

Mane trained with his Liverpool teammates on Monday (Image: COURTESY)

Sadio Mane led Liverpool's players in their final Melwood warm-up before they head back to the scene of their Champions League triumph last year.

The Senegalese came off the bench to score his 100th goal in English football in Saturday evening's 1-0 Premier League victory over Norwich City at Carrow Road which took the Reds 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The forward is expected to start Tuesday's return to European action at Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano stadium, where he starred in Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Tottenham in June's Champions League final.

Former Reds captain Jamie Redknapp has backed Mane to be in the running for the PFA Player of the Year award, despite the club's current skipper Jordan Henderson becoming the favourite for the gong with bookmakers.

“I was in the Sky Sports studio at Carrow Road and Mane, having been told he'd just hit his century, said: 'Really? Wow. Thank you.'," Redknapp told the Mail Online.

“He had not gone into that game thinking about reaching that personal milestone — he wasn't even aware of it!

“He went into it thinking solely about Liverpool getting the win they needed. This is such a team effort from Jurgen Klopp's men.

“Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino could not breach Norwich's resilient back line, but Mane came off the bench and did the job. So who wins Player of the Year?

“It could be anyone from Jordan Henderson to Virgil van Dijk to Trent Alexander-Arnold — and Mane is in the equation, too. Their unassuming superstar.”

Mane seems likely to come into the side for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in Madrid, while Jurgen Klopp faces a midfield selection poser for the clash.

Naby Keita impressed in a central position in that win over the Canaries, but Klopp may opt for the extra defensive responsibility of Fabinho.

Liverpool's 21-man travelling squad: Alisson, Fabinho, Van Dijk, Wijnaldum, Lovren, Milner, Keita, Firmino, Mane, Salah, Gomez, Adrian, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Lallana, Robertson, Origi, Matip, Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold.