Liverpool will host Southampton in their FA Cup fifth-round clash at Anfield tomorrow evening, and Jurgen Klopp has delivered a full injury update in his pre-match press conference.
The Reds will still be on cloud nine after securing their first trophy of the season against Chelsea at Wembley in the Carabao Cup Final at the weekend, however, they will need to quickly refocus to continue their pursuit for further success.
The FA Cup fifth-round clash with Southampton will take place tomorrow evening at Anfield and the mounting injury crisis in the squad has somewhat overshadowed the cup success as the business end of the season looms.
Liverpool are still in contention to win the Premier League title, Europa League trophy and, of course, the FA Cup, however, Jurgen Klopp is facing a challenge to field a starting eleven of first team players as many have sustained injuries.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Alisson Becker, Ryan Gravenberch, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Wataru Endo are just a few of the players unavailable for selection tomorrow evening and there is no clear cut time-frame on when any of these players return as of yet.
Klopp delivered his pre-match press conference earlier today and naturally, the massive injury crisis the club has found themselves in was the hottest topic of conversation with the media:
“In an ideal world you’d think about [changes]. We don’t live in one but I haven’t made the lineup yet. Still two hours until our meeting, we’ll see. Players will arrive and be checked. Y’day was an appreciation day for winning the cup.”
What’s the latest Liverpool injury news?
The Liverpool boss gave an in-depth analysis of most individual situations:
Gravenberch: “What I know is that Ryan is not available, besides all the others who are not available. It’s a ligament injury, could have been much worse, but bad enough for being ruled out for this game, next game. We will see.”
Endo: “Wataru got a proper knock as well. There we have to see as well. I wouldn’t say it’s much improved since Sunday but that’s how it is.”
Thiago: “There is no timescale. I don’t know [if he will play again this season]. It’s not that he might be in training in two weeks. I can’t say more about it.”
Bajcetic: ” I had lunch and saw Stefan Bajcetic training and thought: ‘why is he not training?’ He hasn’t been given the green light yet and no-one wants to hold him back. Checks, scans, bone looks good. Football is a complex sport for the body.”
Salah, Szobozlai, Nunez: “We need miracles with a few players, that’s why I don’t want to rule out for too long but it’s touch-and-go for the boys who were not available for the final. Darwin, Mo, Dom, we have to see what they can do today.”
