Liverpool are recovering from another mini-injury crisis which saw Jurgen Klopp recently unable to call on nine of his first-team players.
Medical expert Ben Dinnery has confirmed that the Reds have had more injuries than any other top-flight side this term, and although Thiago Alcantara and Andy Robertson have now returned to full fitness, he believes some context is required when discussing the club’s lengthy injury list.
“Statistically, no team has had more injuries than Liverpool this season,” he told Football Insider.
“But you always need to give context. Liverpool are involved in European competition. They’ve played more games and minutes than a lot of teams.
“They are therefore at more risk of picking up injuries. It’s a little bit unfair to compare them to teams that haven’t had those games.
“We also need to look at the types of injuries they’ve been picking up. A really good indication of how a player can cope is their previous injury record.
“We have had ongoing issues with Thiago and Keita. They are two players who take up a big chunk of the injury record.
“Milner has also been out for two separate spells and Firmino is out again. You can’t legislate for injuries like Harvey Elliot’s and Curtis Jones’.
“So we always need context and education around these figures.”
We are competing for four trophies this season (that includes the League Cup even though we are all aware of what Klopp thinks of that competition), so the players are completing a lot of minutes and should be credited for that.
Harvey Elliott has recently returned to training, albeit on his own, which is a positive sign following the serious ankle injury he suffered.
Our entire squad will be required this season, especially during the impending festive schedule, so keeping our players full-fit is imperative.
Let’s hope we can continue to perform well, stay injury-free and get some of our stars back in action as soon as possible.