Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Klopp delivers major Liverpool blow as ‘serious’ injury news confirmed

Virgil.van_.Dijk_.Roberto.Firmino.Liverpool.2021.TEAMtalk1

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Roberto Firmino faces a spell on the sidelines following a hamstring injury.

The 30-year-old only recently returned from a muscle problem he suffered in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in August. Indeed, he has featured in eight of the past nine games.

He has also helped Liverpool’s forwards with five goals in that recent run.

Firmino came on from the bench in Wednesday’s Champions League win over Atletico Madrid. However, he only lasted 32 minutes before coming off again.

In fact, the Brazilian ran straight down the tunnel and Klopp has now revealed the extent of the injury.

“Bobby is not good news with a serious hamstring injury, really unfortunate,” the manager said.

“We don’t know exactly how long he will be out but it will be not now after the international break directly. We have to work on that.”

Asked for further clarity on the injury in his press conference, Klopp said: “Losing Bobby Firmino is a blow, I don’t think I have to verify this.

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“That’s how it is, we know now for two or three days that it’s a serious injury. We talk about weeks still, more than four, which I would consider a serious injury.

“It’s Bobby, he’s a quick healer, all that kind of stuff. Usually when you have an injury just before the international break you think after they will be ready. That is not the moment when Bobby will be ready again.”


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However, Klopp’s injury problems do not stop there, especially in midfield. While Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho have recovered,  Curtis Jones, James Milner and Naby Keita remain absent.

Klopp, though, was able to provide positive updates on the trio.

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Liverpool's Curtis Jones, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold

“Curtis is a completely different story [to Firmino], he was very unlucky in training – he got a finger that scratched the eye,” Klopp said.

“I had a lot of injuries to players in my career, that was not involved. He is on the way back but we have to see how long exactly.

“He will be back after the international break, for sure, but in the international break we have to see when he can start doing proper stuff again.”

Klopp added that he hopes – but “cannot promise” – that Keita and Milner will return after the international break.

Meanwhile, defender Joe Gomez’s recovery is on the same timescale amid his calf problem.

Liverpool return to action on Sunday to face West Ham in the Premier League.