Jamie Redknapp has defended Sergio Ramos following the Champions League final controversy and has questioned whether Liverpool fans would have complained if it was Cristiano Ronaldo and not Mohamed Salah who had been injured. Ramos has become public enemy number one in Liverpool and Egypt after his clash with Salah during the first half of last month’s Champions League final saw the attacker forced off with a shoulder injury. Madrid went on to win the game 3-1 to claim a third straight Champions League crown, while Salah’s participation at the World Cup was also temporarily put in doubt. However, former Liverpool midfielder Redknapp, who made more than 300 appearances for the club over 11 years, has defended the Spain hardman. “His record in terms of getting sent off is not the best but I would have him in my team,” Redknapp told Goal ahead of the Soccer Aid charity match for Unicef last week. “Whether you like him or not, he plays on the edge. But look at his record. “He’s made the most out of his ability. Go and take a look at his trophy cabinet. He’s won everything. He’s a winner. “If Virgil van Dijk had done it at the other end, if he had injured Ronaldo, would Liverpool fans have been complaining? “That’s just football sometimes, it’s not the best thing in the world but that’s how it is. Someone’s got to win at all costs.” Redknapp also looked ahead to next season and he believes that Liverpool can challenge champions and favourites Manchester City for the Premier League title, providing they succeed in the transfer market. Jurgen Klopp has already strengthened the midfield by signing Fabinho from Monaco and Naby Keita from RB Leipzig but Redknapp says they need more work and particularly need to sign a new goalkeeper following the two blunders Loris Karius made against Real Madrid. “I think they can challenge but Manchester City are going to take some beating and that’s the problem for everybody,” he said. “They need a goalkeeper, that goes without saying. The situation with Karius is a sad one for the kid. I don’t know how he comes back from what happened in the final. Does he play for Liverpool again? “In terms of the defence, they have Van Dijk who is a fantastic player. He’s been a brilliant signing. In midfield there is going to be a lot of competition for places now with Keita and Fabinho being brought in. Maybe they need another wideman, just to give a different option sometimes. “So they are not far away. With the two they’ve signed, I think Liverpool are going to go close.” To donate to Soccer Aid, please visit: www.socceraid.org.uk.

Mohamed Salah appeared uncomfortable and eager to protect his injured shoulder as an Egypt fan attempted to claim a selfie with the Liverpool star. The 25-year-old, who suffered the problem in the Champions League final following a challenge from Sergio Ramos , was greeted by a supporter as he got off the Egyptian team coach at Cairo airport. And it was a moment that is unlikely to fill Egyptian fans with confidence that their star man will be fit and ready to go for his nation's World Cup opener against Uruguay on June 15 . As the video at the top of the page shows, the fan flung his arm around the Liverpool star as he took a photo on his mobile phone, with a startled Salah quickly removing the man's arm from his seemingly still damaged shoulder. The footage, courtesy of Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm , comes at a time when the signs had been looking hugely encouraging that Salah would be ready for the World Cup - and that he could even be in the starting XI for their first Group A game. Prior to boarding the flight to Russia, Salah trained for the first time with his Egypt team-mates and seemed in good spirits as a miraculous recovery looked as if it had been achieved. But media reports in Egypt have speculated that the former Roma forward's availability for the opener is premature, and that he may not even feature for the Pharaohs until their third group game - a meeting with Saudi Arabia on June 25. Salah had insisted he was ready to play against Uruguay, suggesting he had shaken off the injury problem , although Egypt's team doctor has since urged caution and claimed that he may not be fit enough to feature. The shoulder injury itself has received huge media attention in the build-up to the World Cup, with a petition having been set up demanding that Ramos be punished for the challenge that seemed to put Salah's participation in Russia in huge doubt . Since then, Ramos even suggested that Salah could have carried on in the second half if he had had an injection at half-time of the Champions League final - a claim laughed off by the Egyptian on Saturday as he spoke about the incident for the first time .