Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool future assessed | Football Digest
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has four key injuries to deal with when the Reds return from the international break. A quartet of stars could leave the 56-year-old with some defensive selection issues ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Wolves on Saturday.
Express Sport runs through the progress of Liverpool’s absentees.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced to pull out of England’s September fixtures on the eve of the international break. The 24-year-old hobbled off during Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa with a small hamstring problem.
“I asked him and he said it’s (his) hamstring,” Klopp revealed afterwards. “Not too serious is his opinion, but we obviously have to wait for the scans. Then we will know more.”
The Liverpool Echo reports that Alexander-Arnold could be a doubt for the Reds’ visit to Wolves on Saturday.
Return date: Possibly September 16
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Ibrahima Konate
Klopp was hopeful that Ibrahima Konate would return after the international break. However, the centre-back was withdrawn from the France squad after initially being called up by Didier Deschamps.
That has raised fears that Konate’s thigh injury is worse than first feared. France might have kept the former Leipzig man in their camp if they felt he might be close to a return to full fitness.
Liverpool will already be without Virgil van Dijk against Wolves due to suspension. Konate missed Liverpool’s last two fixtures, with Joel Matip and Joe Gomez forming a centre-back partnership in the win against Villa.
Return date: Possibly September 16
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Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara suffered a setback just weeks before he was due to return. He has been forced to “slow down” his recovery from a long-term hip injury that required surgery.
The 32-year-old has not played since April and will return to face competition from a new-look Liverpool midfield.
Klopp said prior to the international break: “Thiago had a little setback. He started training with the team and had a little setback so we have to slow down there a little bit.”
Return date: mid-September
Conor Bradley
Given Liverpool’s issues in defence, Klopp might have hoped to have academy right-back Conor Bradley fit. But just as the former Bolton loanee looked set to make his breakthrough into the German’s team, he suffered a stress fracture in his back.
The 20-year-old’s introduction to Premier League football will therefore be delayed for some months. But it could open a door for fellow youngster Jarell Quansah, who can play at both right-back and centre-back.
Quansah, also 20, has made two substitute appearances for the Reds this season. If the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Konate are unavailable, a full senior debut could beckon for the Warrington-born starlet.
Return date: November/December
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