Jurgen Klopp has issued injury updates on Diogo Jota and Alisson Becker ahead of Liverpool’s Europa League clash against LASK on Thursday night.
The forward went off injured against Manchester City last weekend, while the goalkeeper was in visible discomfort towards the end of that match.
The Reds manager spoke to the media on Wednesday lunchtime ahead of the Austrians’ visit to Anfield, and he confirmed that the two players would be ruled out of that clash.
Klopp said of Alisson’s hamstring problem [via Liverpool Echo]: “Ali is a bit lesser, so we have to see. He cannot play tomorrow or Sunday, probably not the week after. [Then he] should be kind of okay.”
However, the update on Jota was less encouraging, with the Liverpool boss stating: “Diogo will take a little bit longer. We don’t know exactly, but it’s a bit more severe. We have to see.”
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The news on Alisson isn’t as damaging as first feared, with a possibility that Liverpool’s number one could be back fit for the visit of Manchester United to Anfield on 17 December.
He’s definitely out of tomorrow night’s match and will also be sidelined for the Premier League triple header against Fulham, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace next week.
Even if he’s fit by the time we play Union Saint-Gilloise two weeks from tomorrow, he surely won’t feature in what could hopefully be an inconsequential Europa League group game, with progress in the competition already secured.
Unfortunately it looks as if we won’t see Jota this side of the New Year, which’ll likely see a considerable deal of rotation between the other four senior forwards at Liverpool for the next month or so.
Squad management will be pivotal over the coming period, with nine matches between now and Boxing Day.
Injury has ruled out Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker for more than a fortnight but manager Jurgen Klopp admits it could have been worse and the Brazilian should be fit to face Manchester United. Getting more news and blogs click on link.