Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool’s injury crisis IS down to the congested fixture schedule as he bemoans having to play stars who aren’t ‘ready’ ahead of Champions League clash with Ajax… with boss still unsure when Thiago Alcantara will be fit again
- Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp feels his side are being hampered by the calendar
- Klopp says relentless injuries are forcing him to field stars who aren’t ready
- The German also offered an concerning update on the fitness of Thiago
- No return date can be placed on the summer signing who is still suffering
Jurgen Klopp insists that the congestion of the football calendar is partly to blame for Liverpool‘s ever-increasing injury crisis.
The German boss is now without six of his senior stars as Liverpool prepare to enter the hectic festive period and a busy Champions League schedule.
Speaking on Monday during his pre-match press conference before the Reds host Ajax at Anfield, Klopp highlighted how the knock-on effect of multiple injuries can disrupt an entire team, while breaking the worrying news that summer signing Thiago has no concrete return date.
Jurgen Klopp feels the congested football calendar is party to blame for Liverpool’s injuries
When asked whether the congestion of the football calendar was the reason for rife injuries, Klopp replied: Yes, but not only, and that’s how it is.
‘We had impact injuries especially in the Everton game. Two massive impact injuries and from that moment on it started pretty much.
‘If one player goes out for a long, long time another who is maybe not ready has to play more often than not. It’s difficult to prepare a squad for two massive injuries on one position [midfield].
‘In that case it was a centre half we lost at Everton and a midfielder lost, another midfielder has to play centre half and that means another midfielder who was not exactly ready for the job has to play midfield so one leads to the other thing and that’s the situation.
The Liverpool boss also revealed the concerning news that Thiago may be out for much longer
The Spain star hasn’t been seen for the Reds since getting injured in the Merseyside derby
‘It’s not to change any more so we will try to deal with that and make the best of it.’
Former Bayern Munich man Thiago has not been seen since the Merseyside derby, and Klopp admits the situation with the deep-lying playmaker is a difficult one.
‘With Thiago we have to clarify a little bit, so on that day when Thiago got injured in a bad challenge in the Everton game, there was another bad injury and after the scans one was bad news one was good news,’ Klopp said.
‘We realised now it was still a massive impact on the knee. The problem in situations like that is everyone thinks its ok, but the impact was that big its still not ok.
‘He trains from time to time but not in the moment, we realise we have to go a few further steps, I cant say exactly when he will be fine. That’s how it is.’
Klopp says Jordan Henderson is ready to return while Trent Alexander-Arnold is now ‘closer’
The Liverpool manager has confirmed that captain Jordan Henderson is once again cleared to play, though James Milner – who pulled up clutching his hamstring against Brighton – is out of the midweek European clash with Ajax.
Klopp also confirmed Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri will remain on the sidelines, while Trent Alexander-Arnold has not been given the green light to return against Ajax, but is ‘closer’ in his rehab programme.