Sadio Mane Told Roberto Firmino 'You Don't Need Your Eye' to Get Him to Face PSG

Sadio Mane has revealed he texted Liverpool team-mate Roberto Firmino to convince him to play against Paris Saint-Germain despite suffering an eye injury on Saturday.

Firmino did not train on Sunday or Monday after he was left with an abrasion to his cornea following a coming together with Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen, but Mane was determined the Brazilian would not miss out on the Reds' UEFA Champions League clash with PSG on Tuesday.

Per the Mirror's Carl Markham and Andrew Gilpin, he said:

"I think Bobby doesn't need his eye to play so I told him. I sent him a message on Monday saying, 'Hey Bobby, come on, we need you.'

"You've all seen the 'no look' goals so I think he doesn't need his eye to play. I texted him saying, 'You don't need your eye.'"

Despite missing two days of training, Mane's motivational messages seemed to have the desired effect, as Firmino subsequently declared his fitness to play to manager JurgenKlopp.

The forward started on the bench, but his introduction proved vital for the Reds as he struck the injury-time winner to hand Liverpool a 3-2 victory over the Parisians after the hosts had let slip a two-goal lead.

The Guardian's Barney Ronay hailed the 26-year-old's resilience:

Firmino's goal continued a fine run of form in the Champions League, which stretches back to last season:

It will have been encouraging to Klopp that Firmino's replacement up front, Daniel Sturridge, also found the net on Tuesday.

The Englishman has at times looked to have little or no future at the club under the German, particularly when he spent the latter half of last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

However, his goal against a side looking to go all the way in Europe perhaps indicates he may yet play an important role at the club this year.

That said, Firmino's appearance showed why it will be almost impossible to unseat him as the Reds' central striker.

The Brazilian's biggest strengths are his exceptional link-play, work rate and ability to create space for his team-mates up front. He has become an increasingly prolific goalscorer during his time at Anfield, too, and that match-winning decisiveness makes him crucial to Liverpool's ambitions.