Liverpool‘s injury crisis has dealt out blows throughout the season and, despite the club turning to January transfers in a bid to ease their problems, the set-backs haven’t let up.
Earlier in the campaign the Reds couldn’t get through a week without losing a key player to injury: Virgil Van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara against Everton, Joe Gomez on international duty and Diogo Jota in a Champions League dead rubber against FC Midtjylland, to name a few.
Other key players who have spent time on the sidelines this season include captain Jordan Henderson, left-back Andy Robertson and his understudy Kostas Tsimikas, Trent Alexander-Arnold and – perhaps most crucially of all given Van Dijk and Gomez’s long-term absences – centre-back Joel Matip, who is now also out for the season with an ankle injury.
The loss of their three main centre-backs has seen Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies arrive at the club, while Henderson has been among the players to have deputised in the role so far this season.
Below we run through the latest Liverpool injury news here and when their injured stars are pencilled in to return.
Liverpool’s injury list (and expected return date)
- Virgil Van Dijk – knee (summer)
- Joe Gomez – knee (summer)
- Joel Matip – ankle (summer)
- Jordan Henderson – adductor (mid-April at the earliest)
- Caoimhin Kelleher – abdominal tear (early April)
- Divock Origi – muscle injury (early April)
- Roberto Firmino – knock (hopeful for Arsenal)
Gomez and Van Dijk’s road to recovery
Van Dijk and Gomez are expected to be out for the rest of the season, but the pair have both been posting regular updates with regards to their rehabilitation.
Van Dijk said “the hard work continues” on Twitter in January and has been regularly pictured in individual training sessions as he continues the long path to recovery.
Klopp has suggested that it would take a “miracle” for Van Dijk to play again this season following reports that Liverpool would keep him on their Premier League squad list in the hope that he could return before May.
“I don’t know where these things are coming from,” Klopp said. “No doctor told me there is a chance for Virgil to play in this season again. I don’t want to say that is absolutely impossible but it is not likely. It is not likely so we don’t have to discuss these things really.
“If we have space [on the squad list] we will put them all on even when the medical people tell us there is no chance. We put them on because we believe in miracles from time to time, but if there is no space then we have to consider these things and say the chances are not too big so we have to make a decision. But if they are on the list then it is only because we hope for nearly a miracle.”
Meanwhile, Gomez said on Twitter: “Taking it a day at a time, but giving it my all…There is no education like adversity.”
Joel Matip started at centre-back against Tottenham at the end of January, but he was brought off at half-time before Klopp said he had suffered an ankle ligament injury. After undergoing a scan it was confirmed he would be out for the remainder of the season.
“It was really unlucky because it was a brilliant challenge he made actually, he saved our life in that moment in the Tottenham game when he won the challenge against Son,” Klopp said.
“We will wait for him. He has now the rest of this season, then the summer, then the pre-season to get ready again and he will be ready again.”
Jordan Henderson became the fifth option at centre-back to go down with injury when limping off against Everton midway into February, and Klopp has now learned he will be without his captain until mid-April at the earliest after the midfielder underwent surgery.
Liverpool were initially reluctant to put a timeframe on his return, but did state he would be out until at least the March international break. Henderson missed England duty and remains a few weeks off full recovery.
“Henderson has successfully had a corrective procedure carried out on the adductor injury. He will begin a rehabilitation programme immediately,” a statement said.
“No specific timescale is being placed upon his return; however, the 30-year-old is ruled out initially until after the March international break.
“Henderson’s recovery will be closely monitored by the club’s medical department and his progression during his rehab work will determine when he is able to resume full training.”
Thankfully for Klopp, Ozan Kabak has featured regularly for Liverpool since signing from Schalke 04 on loan until the end of the season, and recovered from a knock last month to feature against Leipzig in the Champions League, Wolves in the Premier League and then play three games for Turkey during the international break.
Roberto Firmino hasn’t played for a month – since the 1-0 home loss to Chelsea – with what the club described as a “minor knock”. It is uncertain as to whether the player will be available to face Arsenal this weekend or indeed be fit enough for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final at Real Madrid.
Caoimhin Kelleher also missed an international call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad due to an abdominal tear that the club hope won’t keep him out of action for much longer.
Meanwhile, Klopp is waiting on news of Divock Origi’s fitness following his exclusion from the Belgium national team due to injury.
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