Liverpool may be waiting quite a while for Joel Matip’s return following Jurgen Klopp’s pre-Sheffield United update.
In comments relayed by Paul Joyce on X, the German tactician confirmed the Cameroonian’s injury ‘doesn’t look good’.
Jurgen Klopp on Joel Matip injury: "Now we lost Joel. It doesn't look good. It is not great. How long I don't know yet."
— paul joyce (@_pauljoyce) December 5, 2023
It leaves the Reds a little more bare at the back, with Jarell Quansah sure to be relied on to a greater degree alongside remaining options Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.
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How will Liverpool react?
It’s an unfortunate blow for the ‘incredible’ (as Jurgen Klopp once described him in comments relayed by Football365) 32-year-old centre-back who had, up until this point, been the first-choice partner to Virgil van Dijk owing to some impressive performances.
Fortunately, a defender of our French international’s quality can, and will, step in in his place, though this will be a concern for our medical department in light of the former’s troubling injury record.
Another injury to Konate would surely then send the alarm bells ringing all over the AXA training centre ahead of the January transfer window.
Could we consider bringing in a new body to compensate?
Jurgen Klopp may argue in favour of waiting it out, lest we fill the squad with temporary bodies. Though, the shadow cast by an injury-ridden 2020/21 campaign is still long enough to tickle the edges of 2023/24.