Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has reiterated that Thiago Alcantara’s hamstring injury will not push Liverpool into a rushed transfer given their current midfield crisis.
Liverpool’s manager was left bemoaning another injury, with Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jones absent for the Fulham game. (📸: Getty Images)
Thiago was replaced with Harvey Elliot with just six minutes into the second half at Fulham 2-2 draw at craven cottage due to hamstring injury.
The Spain international limped out with just six minutes into the second half and was replaced by Harvey Elliott. (📸: Getty Images)
It’s a fresh blow for Liverpool, who already had Keita, OX and Jones absent for the Fulham’s game and for Thiago, who spent four separate spells on the sidelines last season for a variety of issues, while a knee injury saw him miss a sizeable chunk of his first season at Liverpool in 2020-21.
Speaking after his side came from behind twice to draw at Fulham on the opening day of the season, Klopp admitted the injury was “not good”, and while further assessment on Thiago is required, the Liverpool boss was in a downbeat mood given the draw and new addition to Liverpool midfield crisis.
“Look, a transfer must make sense now and in the long-term; we have midfielders, we have still enough midfielders. It is not that we lack midfielders, but it’s just some of them are injured.
“We said we don’t need a midfielder, we have enough. The problem is we are now punished for something that isn’t our responsibility,” Klopp said.
“Things like this can happen. There’s nothing we could do about this. Naby (Keita) is ill and maybe he’ll be back next week. (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain is out. With Thiago, it’s not good but we will see. A transfer must make sense, now and in the long term.
We still have eight midfielders, just some of them are injured at the moment. It’s not a good situation at all, but we won’t panic. We have to see how we react.”
Liverpool twice trailed to Fulham, with Aleksandar Mitrovic opening his Premier League account for the season with a double, although it was Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah who rescued a point for the Reds.