Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Liverpool defender Joel Matip is a doubt for Sunday’s clash against Tottenham.
The Reds’ boss revealed that Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to return at Anfield, with Andrew Robertson taken off against Genk to give him a small rest.
Klopp shared the news in his pre-match press conference, as quoted by journalist David Lynch on his personal Twitter account, that the Reds are set to “wait and see” on the Cameroon international in the build-up to the game after he missed the trip to Belgium on Wednesday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold set to return against Tottenham, #LFC to "wait and see" on Joel Matip. Andy Robertson taken off against Genk just to give him a small rest.
— David Lynch (@dmlynchlfc) October 25, 2019
Matip has been a mainstay at Anfield this season so far in the Premier League, starting seven games for the Reds.
OPINION
The 28-year-old has been phenomenal in the past couple of seasons and has more than cemented his place alongside Virgil van Dijk to form an irresistible partnership in the heart of the defence for Liverpool. Matip became a key figure in Klopp’s side in the previous campaign when playing a monumental role in their Champions League success, as well as making sure they only lost once in the top flight. Matip would have been a huge loss for the Reds but could struggle to recover in time for the Tottenham game after returning against Manchester United only to aggravate the set back that made him sit out in the first place. The Cameroon international has averaged 1.7 tackles as well as interceptions per game according to WhoScored and has consistently helped disrupt opposition attacks in games where Liverpool have had their backs against the wall in spells. Sunday’s game sees one of the deadliest strikers in the Premier League, Harry Kane, arrive at Anfield, and Klopp will surely have been hoping that his best defenders were all available for selection.
