Liverpool could be forced to change their January transfer plans with Jurgen Klopp fearing defender Joel Matip could miss months with a knee injury. Matip hobbled off with what seemed a painful issue during the Reds’ thrilling 4-3 victory over Fulham.
The Cameroonian is one of just four recognised senior centre-backs at Anfield and has a contract that expires at the end of the season. He is widely expected to depart, with Liverpool likely to enter the market for a new defender in the summer.
However, the Merseysiders might now choose to bring forward that plan with Matip expected to be out for some time. Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez are the Klopp’s other options at centre-back, while youngster Jarell Quansah has impressed in a breakthrough campaign.
A summer midfielder overhaul that totalled £150m means that money could be tight in January. But Klopp might see sense in a deal for a new defender instead of plotting a move at the end of the season.
“When the doctor comes in and says, ‘It doesn’t look great’, [you worry] but we have to wait for the scans and the scan isn’t here yet,” Klopp said, speaking ahead of Liverpool’s visit to Sheffield United.
“So you can imagine it doesn’t look great. It is never good news [when the doctor gives that assessment].
“I’ve never had that in all my years where someone says ‘oh my God, it’s [the initial diagnosis on an injury] completely wrong, there’s nothing wrong, he can play tomorrow. It doesn’t happen.”
Meanwhile, Klopp joked that he has had to bin his pre-match analysis of Sheffield United after Wednesday’s opponents sacked manager Paul Heckingbottom after one win in 14 matches. Former boss Chris Wilder has returned to Bramall Lane.
“First thing is we can probably bin our analysis,” Klopp joked. “I was sitting yesterday in the office and somebody told me it might happen but I watched it anyway. We will see.
“We have to focus on ourselves. I don’t think he will now change too much. What can he change in that short period? We don’t have to think too much about it. We really should just prepare for a football game.
“We play teams with five at the back, 5-3-2 and 5-4-1, quite frequently, to be honest. We have to make sure we give them a proper job to think about.
“I understand it’s always like that – a new manager coming in and now we start getting confused; we shouldn’t. Actually, we can play in different ways and as much I am happy for Chris that he’s back in a job there at his club, if he thinks about us then it must be, ‘Oh my God, they come from everywhere.’
“That’s pretty much the thing, but the game will be played tomorrow, not today in the press conference.”
