Jurgen Klopp reveals why Mamadou Sakho was banished from Liverpool tour

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed why defender Mamadou Sakho was sent home from the Reds' pre-season tour of the US, explaining that he was reacting to a perceived lack of "respect" from the 26-year-old defender.

The Frenchman was banished on Tuesday after "three cases of indiscipline during Liverpool's tour... and is now facing an uncertain future", reports the Daily Telegraph.

The pair are now set for "crunch talks" over the defender's future next week, when Liverpool return from the US.

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"He nearly missed the departure [of Liverpool's plane to San Francisco], he missed a treatment session and was late for a team meal," explained Klopp.

"I have to build a group here and we've got to start new here. I thought it maybe made sense for him to fly home to Liverpool. We have some rules and we have to respect them – if somebody gives me the feeling they are not respecting it I have to react."

Sakho, who is currently injured and will miss the start of the season, was included on the tour in order to foster team spirit, but the move appears to have backfired.

"There was no falling out but Klopp revealed he was disappointed with the player's attitude around the training camp in Palo Alto, which came to a head with a pointed exchange on a trip to Alacatraz," reports The Guardian. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"98082","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]

Shortly before he was banished, Liverpool's social media team posted a video diary, filmed by Sakho, which showed him disrupting a TV interview with Klopp when the squad visited the former high security prison in San Francisco.

Klopp was not pleased with the defender interrupting his interview although he kept smiling. The Liverpool manager made a barbed remark about Sakho being late for the plane journey to the US and joked through gritted teeth that they had come to Alcatraz in the hope of leaving Sakho behind.

Sakho sent home from Liverpool tour: Prank on Klopp to blame?

26 July

There is intrigue surrounding Liverpool's pre-season tour of the US after defender Mamadou Sakho was sent home amid rumours of a row with manager Jurgen Klopp.

The French centre-back, who missed the Europa League final and failed to make the France squad for Euro 2016 after he was wrongly accused of failing a drugs test in March, was ordered home just two days into the trip.

According to the Liverpool Echo, "concerns had been raised about the 26-year-old's attitude around the club's training camp in California and that's prompted his swift return to the UK".

The club declined to comment on the reasons for his departure. The Echo says Sakho would not have played anyway as he has an Achilles injury that is expected keep him out of the opening weeks of the new Premier League season.

"Despite being injured, Sakho was included in the travelling party to the States as Klopp sought to foster team spirit ahead of the new campaign," adds the paper. "However, the fact that he's heading home so quickly is a clear indication that something has gone awry.

"Lucas Leiva and Joe Gomez are also injured and won't feature on the tour but they are staying with the squad following Sakho's departure."

According to website 90 Min, the episode puts Sakho's Liverpool future in jeopardy, adding he was on the same flight back to the UK as Liverpool left-back Brad Smith, who has now signed for Bournemouth.

There was evidence of a slightly strained relationship between Sakho and Klopp when the player was entrusted with a camera on the first day of the tour and filmed himself interrupting the manager as he spoke to journalists during a tour of Alcatraz.

Klopp just about maintained a jovial demeanour during the clip, but pointed out through gritted teeth that Sakho had been a late arrival for the flight to the US and then joked they hoped to leave him behind in the jail.

Liverpool play Chelsea, AC Milan and Roma during their stay in the US.