After rebuilding their midfield, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team is playing with newfound vigour as they look to write another historic chapter in a successful era under the German coach.
The Reds have benefited greatly from spending a season outside of the Champions League, as the Europa League has given them a new opportunity to rest important players.
Liverpool is playing brilliantly as a result of that rotation; they have only lost once this season, and that was in a contentious manner. The avoidance of injuries to important players has been one of the many factors contributing to that form. The Reds have been lucky to hold onto players like Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijjk, who have all stayed healthy throughout the Premier League season thus far.
However, Klopp has not been without his fitness concerns; one player in particular is expected to miss even more time than anticipated.
Liverpool injury updates
Throughout the season, Liverpool has taken a few minor setbacks, but nothing that has completely stopped their momentum. A large portion of that may be attributed to the fact that they have drastically cut down on the age of their team over the past few years, giving Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, and Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner, Fabinho, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the boot.
Thiago Alcantara is one player who made it through the rebuild; his struggle to regain full fitness following hip surgery may be an indication of his advanced age. And now, Thiago’s injury has dealt Klopp a new blow; James Pearce of The Athletic has confirmed that Thiago will be sidelined until the new year. Despite appearing to be on track to return at the end of last month, the former Bayern Munich star has not played yet this season and will now miss two more months.
When he stated, “I don’t know, I will not put pressure on that (his return),” Klopp back in October made it obvious that he expected Thiago’s return to occur much sooner. We’ll see if they return following the international break in October. I hope it would be enjoyable.”
“Outstanding” Thiago out until 2024
The addition of Thiago would certainly complete Liverpool’s revamped midfield, especially considering the tantalising possibility of the Spaniard forming a partnership with Szoboszlai and Mac Alister. But since the veteran keeps getting hurt, it looks like those at Anfield will have to wait until the new year to see that trio together.
Naturally, Thiago’s contract at Liverpool is coming to an end, which makes his injury problems even more annoying. It’s unclear if he’ll receive a new contract, but if he stays out of the lineup, the Reds should consider whether it would be wise to hold onto their midfield player.
Thiago is undoubtedly a fan of Klopp’s, as he previously stated to TalkSport: “He probably wants to be a Bentley instead of a Rolls Royce because he’s a bit quicker! But no, what a fantastic player he is.
“Naturally, when he came here, I was aware of that. He had a bad start to the season due to injuries and other issues, but when healthy, he can really bring a beat to the game. He has an amazing grasp of the game, an eye for that, and the ability to subdue tension when needed. I simply lacked the feet to utilise it, but I saw that a lot during football games as well. Thus, praise God, he does! I’m sure you had fun with it; I did too.