Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp gave an update on Ryan Gravenberch’s injury after the midfielder was carried off on a stretcher in the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds will still be buzzing after securing their first trophy of the 2023–24 campaign, and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that the success will spur his team on to more great things before the season comes to an end.
While the focus will be on celebrating the heart, passion, and determination shown by the players who fought out Chelsea until the dying seconds of the game, there is mounting concern as an injury crisis of epic proportions unfolds on the red side of Merseyside.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Curtis Jones, Joel Matip, Stefan Bajcetic, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, and Alisson Becker were all unavailable for selection in yesterday’s clash with Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, and now Ryan Gravenberch is the latest to join the long injury list of first-team talent.
The Dutch midfielder was the latest casualty to give Klopp a selection headache as he was wiped out by a nasty tackle delivered by Moises Caicedo in the first half of the cup final in London last night.
Although he was stretchered off by the medical team, the Liverpool boss gave a post-match update on Gravenberch’s condition, and it seems that his injury was not as serious as first thought.
Klopp told Sky Sports:
“I hope it’s not that bad. They did an X-ray, so it’s not broken, but the ligaments got something, and that’s how it is.”
How long could Gravenberch be out for?
There is no doubt that the injury will be a huge blow for Liverpool, especially as the fixtures continue to come thick and fast with an FA Cup clash due on Wednesday against Southampton at Anfield.
Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo are, at present, the only fit, experienced midfielders that Klopp has at his disposal and with a trip to the City Ground in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest coming up on Saturday as well, the German coach will need to be strategic in his selection.
Although Gravenberch could be out for months, depending on the severity of the damage suffered to his ligaments, there is hope that some of the other midfielders could make their return to the pitch much sooner rather later and Klopp’s press conference tomorrow will be the first chance to see who could be available.
With that being said, there will be a waiting game to see if Gravenberch will be out for extended period, but in the meantime fans will be holding out hope that some of the other injured players can make an imminent return either to be involved against Southampton or later in the week against Forest.
