Jurgen Klopp’s injury headaches just won’t go away. In fact, if Liverpool’s club doctor were ever to investigate they’d likely diagnose the Anfield boss with an 18-month cluster migraine.
It’s becoming vogue to scoff at Klopp’s supposed excuses about results not going Liverpool’s way due to injuries that have ravaged the team ever since they won the Premier League title in 2020.
Klopp has the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip back in his squad and the results are already showing. The Reds are in a title battle this season that seemed unattainable only a few moths ago.
But while the German boss enjoyed welcoming back his long-absent stars, he’s also had to get used to losing others.
James Milner joined Thiago, Fabinho and Harvey Elliott on the sidelines for Saturday’s clash with Brighton. And Naby Keita may be the latest on the Liverpool physio bench.
Keita started the Reds’ Premier League clash with Brighton – just six days after a challenge from Paul Pogba forced the Guinea international off on a stretcher. In the week Klopp revealed that Keita’s bruised foot would not rule him out of the Seagulls contest but he lasted just 20 minutes at Anfield.
Having impressed with some good touches earlier in the contest, Keita limped off seemingly holding his hamstring, to be replaced by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – another Reds squad member to have suffered serious injury in recent times.
Keita looked disheartened as he walked down the tunnel – and so he should be. The 26-year-old has endured a string of injuries on Merseyside and missed the majority of the last two seasons due to set-backs.
At £52m Keita was an expensive signing for Liverpool back in 2018. He has two years left on his contract and persistent set-backs won’t aid his chances of a renewal.
Thankfully for Liverpool, Klopp does have better replacements than most when his top men suffer injuries. Oxlade-Chamberlain found the unmarked Sadio Mane four minutes after entering the field to earn the Reds a second goal before the break.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3jTr183
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