Jurgen Klopp took time to praise Gini Wijnaldum today, but alerted fans that our Dutch midfielder has struggled this week with a slight calf injury.
The 26-year-old, who arrived from Newcastle in the summer, was present during all training sessions in La Manga, but according to the boss, he’s been dealing with a minor problem.
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Wijnaldum headed to Spain on the back of his best performance in a Liverpool shirt last time out, playing a huge part in our 2-0 win over Tottenham at Anfield.
“He was good, very good. Maybe it was the best performance of his, but I don’t compare,” Klopp told a press-conference today – cited in the Echo.
“He was really good for us. And if the others weren’t good, we’d not have won.
“Gini had a knock on his calf in training this week but he should be okay.”
We really hope Wijnaldum is ready for Monday’s tie with Leicester, as he’s the only midfielder who provides both a defensive and offensive outlet.
Jordan Henderson dictates tempo, Adam Lallana can burst forward, but Wijnaldum is a genuine outlet in all phases of the game.
We’d hope to start the same team that beat Spurs actually, with Mignolet in goal, Clyne, Lucas, Matip and Milner making up the back four, Henderson, Wijnaldum and Lallana central with Mane, Coutinho and Firmino up top.