Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has stated that star midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is a major doubt for the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea later this month. The German has also opened up on Thiago Alcantara suffering yet another injury setback.
Szoboszlai made a comeback from a hamstring injury in the Reds’ 4-1 victory over Chelsea where he also scored a goal. However, he was not part of the Liverpool squad that traveled to Arsenal last week where Klopp’s side lost 3-1.
It was revealed that the Hungary skipper had suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury. Now, Klopp has claimed that he is unsure where Szoboszlai will return to full fitness and he is a doubt for the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea.
“Like with all these tendon things, pretty quickly the player is pain-free and then it’s all about the muscle. It’s pretty much the same injury as he had before; obviously, it’s really not good that he got that again. It didn’t feel like a great issue but when you see the pictures you just have to take him out. We are fighting for days if you want. Is it Brentford [next Saturday], is it the final, or is it after the final? I don’t know at the moment,” Klopp was quoted as saying by Metro.
Klopp has also claimed that he is hopeful that Thiago can come back before the end of the season with the Spaniard suffering yet another setback. Thiago made his return against Arsenal after missing almost 10 months with a hip injury but has now suffered a muscle injury.
“It’s a muscle issue, we don’t know the extent yet. We have to wait there a little bit, but it’s not cool, of course. It was really not good news for him, for us, for everybody. On top of losing the game already and having that is not good. Yes [I expect him to play again this season], but we didn’t really think about that, in the moment we just treat the injury and get a full assessment done and knowing exactly where it came from. It’s not the intensity and stuff like this, so there are different things,” the Liverpool manager said.
Szoboszlai has been excellent for Liverpool since joining them from RB Leipzig in the summer for a reported £60 million fee. The Hungarian has already become a fan favorite, having scored five goals and provided four assists in 28 games across competitions.
Thiago, on the other hand, could have been a key player for the Reds in the second half of the season. With his contract expiring this summer, it looks pretty certain that he won’t stay at the Merseyside club beyond this summer.
Dimitar Berbatov sends a message to Liverpool ahead of their Burnley game
Dimitar Berbatov has claimed that Liverpool must come back to winning ways against Burnley following their defeat at Arsenal last week. The former Manchester United striker predicted a 3-0 win for the Reds against the Clarets at Anfield on Saturday (February 10).
Jurgen Klopp’s side unbeaten run came to an end last week at the Emirates with Arsenal beating them 3-1. The title race looks extremely tight and Berbatov has warned the Reds that they cannot afford more slip-ups.
The former Manchester United attacker told Metro:
“Burnley are struggling, and I sympathise with Vincent Kompany, but he now knows how difficult it is to be a manager of a team in the Premier League. When you’re not doing well you suffer. Liverpool need to bounce back after the Arsenal defeat, so now is the time to do that. I’ll go for a Liverpool win.”
Liverpool won 2-0 against Burnley in the reverse fixture at Turf Moor and have won nine of their last 12 league meetings against Vincent Kompany’s outfit, losing just once, in January 2021.
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