Jurgen Klopp has said that Liverpool needed to be ‘super careful’ with their management of one player over his ‘freakish’ injury troubles.
The man in question is Curtis Jones, who had only begun one Premier League match all season prior to his current run of five successive starts, with a bone issue forcing his long-time absence from the first XI.
Speaking in this morning’s press conference ahead of Tottenham’s visit to Anfield on Sunday, the Reds manager said of the 22-year-old (via Paul Gorst on Twitter): “He’s played 5 in a row but it didn’t look like that would be possible because of a freakish injury, we’ve been super careful with him.
“He couldn’t train a full week because we were in Europe and didn’t train properly if you like. He’s been really good.”
Klopp on Jones: "He's played 5 in a row but it didn't look like that would be possible because of a freakish injury, we've been super careful with him. He couldn't train a full week because we were in Europe and didn't train properly if you like. He's been really good."
— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) April 28, 2023
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Earlier this month, Jones revealed the extent of the problems which restricted his involvement for much of the season, saying (via Liverpool Echo) that the bone issue which affected him had never been seen by the Anfield medical staff before.
He added that a specialised training regime had impacted his availability for certain matches, with an emphasis on managing the problem so as not to aggravate it.
Thankfully, he now appears to be over that frustration, and he’s eager to make up for lost time judging by his performances since coming back into the team against Chelsea at the start of April.
Jamie Carragher, David Lynch and Caoimhe O’Neill have all praised his recent contributions, including a brilliant assist for Diogo Jota’s first goal in the 6-1 win over Leeds 11 days ago.
Nobody wants to see a player sidelined for a lengthy period of time through injury, but it looks as if Liverpool’s careful management of Jones is now paying off, both for him and the team.
It’s brilliant to see his patience being rewarded, and he could yet play a pivotal role in our late pursuit of a European finish.
You can see Klopp’s press conference in full below, via Liverpool FC on YouTube: