Suspensions also a possible problem for Jürgen Klopp ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League tie with Manchester City?
After a period of relative stability on the injury front, Liverpool find themselves succumbing to a number of problems at the most inopportune of times.
With just six Premier League fixtures remaining, and on the eve of their Champions League quarter-final first leg tie with Manchester City, the Reds were dealt a significant blow on Tuesday when news emerged that Joël Matip will miss the remainder of the season.
After starting the previous two matches, the defender looked to have re-established himself alongside record signing Virgil van Dijk as part of manager Jürgen Klopp‘s first choice centre-back pairing.
However a thigh injury now looks to have curtailed the Cameroonian’s season, with the club confirming via their official website: “The centre-back sustained the issue during Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
“Matip was able to complete the full 90 minutes of the fixture, but afterwards medical assessment on the thigh revealed surgery is expected to be required to correct the problem.
“The operation is likely to end the 26-year-old’s involvement in the remainder of the 2017/18 season.”
The hard-fought encounter at Selhurst Park had already seen Adam Lallana succumb to a muscular injury just minutes after entering proceedings as a second half substitute.
The midfielder could also now miss the remainder of the season, which makes continued uncertainty around the availability of Emre Can all the more pertinent.
The German missed the Palace match, in addition to the international friendlies with Spain and Brazil prior to it, with a back problem and is also losing his race to be fit for the visit of City on Wednesday night.
Speaking about the matter at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Klopp remarked: “He has a training session this afternoon, but even when we could need him really, we cannot rush it. That’s how it is. There is no chance [for tomorrow].”
One of the men seemingly certain to play in the absence of Can and Lallana is Jordan Henderson, and worryingly the club captain, along with left-back Alberto Moreno, is just a booking away from missing the second leg at the Etihad on April 10.
Also set to be missing against the Citizens are Joe Gomez (ankle) and Ragnar Klavan (knock), leaving Klopp desperately short of cover at the heart of his defence should anything untoward befell either van Dijk or Dejan Lovren.
Vital Comment
These setbacks are a massive inconvenience and leave the squad seriously thin in key areas. Fortunately the first X1 isn’t overly weakened and as long as the front three remain fit we will always have a chance in any game! Our starting X1: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Milner, Mané, Salah, Firmino.
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