Liverpool headed into the international break after defeating Brentford 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday. And Reds boss Jurgen Klopp will now have one eye on how he manages his squad during the busy run-up to the New Year, with a whole host of first team stars currently unavailable. Express Sport takes a look at the latest injury news from Anfield, with the likes of Andy Robertson and Ryan Gravenberch currently unavailable.
Ryan Gravenberch
Ryan Gravenberch played 83 minutes when Liverpool drew 1-1 with Luton earlier this month but didn’t feature against Toulouse or Brentford due to a knee injury. “Ryan got a little niggle of the knee,” Klopp said last week. “It is not major, he was running already today, but [there was] no chance for this game. He will definitely be back after the international break. That’s why he’s not here.
Andy Robertson
Andy Robertson was forced to undergo an operation at the end of last month after injuring his shoulder while in international action for Scotland. Recent reports have suggested he could be sidelined for three months, with Klopp explaining: “He’s had his surgery and it all went well, as good as it could be. We don’t know how long it will take but the first step is done.”
Ibrahima Konate
Ibrahima Konate was an unused substitute against Toulouse in the Europa League last Thursday but wasn’t selected for the clash with the Bees on Sunday. He has also pulled out of the France squad ahead of their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece. Klopp is still waiting to discover how serious the injury is.
Joe Gomez
Joe Gomez was another player to miss out on selection for the visit of Brentford despite playing the full 90 minutes against Toulouse three days earlier. And when questioned about Gomez and Konate’s absence at the weekend, Klopp said: “Yeah, both for injury reasons as well. We will see how serious it is but they were not available today.”
Thiago
Thiago hasn’t played since the end of April and underwent a hip operation in May. Earlier this month, Klopp explained: “It’s an ongoing thing and we cannot put any kind of pressure on there as well. We expect him to be back – and I would say probably the start of the New Year. It’s now already November, so that would mean another four weeks.”
Curtis Jones
Curtis Jones has been out of action with a hamstring injury since Liverpool’s Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth at the start of November. But Klopp has insisted the midfielder will return to the fold later this month as he explained: “After the international break he will be back, but not before. [It is a] low, low-grade hamstring.”
Stefan Bajcetic
Stefan Bajcetic has only appeared in two matches this season due to a long-term calf problem. And Klopp has suggested the midfielder’s body is not quite ready for the demands of Premier League football. “We don’t know [when he will be back],” stated the German. “With Stefan it’s, again, one of these things. Stefan’s quality, potential, talent, everybody could see and it’s incredible – what a player – but the body was not ready yet. They are still growing these boys and they are all different.”
