Liverpool are continuing to monitor Roberto Firmino after he was forced off in the first half of the 1-1 draw against Chelsea with a hamstring injury.
Jurgen Klopp initially said that it “doesn’t look too serious” but added a caveat: “You never know before you have a scan.”
“Serious enough to take him off, yes,” Klopp added. “Bobby felt his hamstring, came and told us so we had to prepare the change. Bobby is [not someone] who raises the hand when he doesn’t feel anything.”
Firmino underwent a scan on Monday as several of his teammates left Melwood for the international break.
Like compatriots Alisson Becker and Fabinho, the Brazilian was not slated to take part in his country’s World Cup qualifiers regardless because Premier League clubs are not allowing players from countries on the “red list” to travel.
That means he has a fortnight to recover before Liverpool’s next Premier League fixture against Leeds United at Elland Road on 12 September, and a second scan on the muscle on Tuesday will have told the club whether that is a realistic target.
The Reds then play AC Milan at Anfield three days later in their first game of the Champions League group stages.
Should Firmino not recover in time, Diogo Jota is likely to start alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, just as he did in the two wins over Norwich City and Burnley.
It had been suggested that the No 9’s injury setback might have forced Klopp’s hand in the transfer window, but with his hamstring problem not thought to be severe, it seems unlikely the Liverpool boss will backtrack on his stance of sticking with his existing options this summer.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3kJ6nag
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