As the injury issue worsens, Jurgen Klopp could have to abandon Liverpool rule

According to liverpoolecho, if Liverpool expected their salary cost to fall with the departures of numerous high earners last summer, such savings may have been reinvested in medical department overtime. Jurgen Klopp bristled earlier this month when told he headed to Arsenal with a “luxury problem” of having almost a complete roster for the first time this season.

A week later, Klopp said he would kick anyone out of his pre-match press conference if they suggested selecting from a full squad of fit players again.

“Somebody asked me about the ‘luxury problem’ of having so many players available,” remarked Klopp. “If anyone asks me that again, I [will] kick them out of the room!”

The Arsenal loss left him without Thiago Alcantara again and unable to choose Ibrahima Konate against Burnley due to his red card. Dominik Szoboszlai was ruled out for the 3-1 loss, and the Hungary captain sits on the bench, evidently eager to play but without medical permission.

“If you ask Dom he plays against Brentford,” Klopp stated before Burnley. “That’s the injury issue. Muscle and minor tendon damage. The athlete says, “I’m fine, let’s go,” because the tendon is not uncomfortable but the muscle is not huge. He’s not used to getting hurt this way.”

A good week on the injury front for Szoboszlai is needed to make Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea. The Reds boss usually requires at least two team training sessions before recalling a player, but with the current absence list, it will be intriguing to see whether Klopp bends those restrictions before the Wembley match.

After the illness virus forced Alisson to miss the Burnley match last week, which also eliminated Joe Gomez, the Brazil custodian was diagnosed with a hamstring strain on the eve of the Brentford match.

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Caoimhin Kelleher has played well when called upon, but the fact that he has already played 14 times this season emphasises Alisson’s problems, even if it was expected. He will make his fifth Premier League appearance of the season against Luton Town on Wednesday night, having played the most top-flight minutes of his career.

As Liverpool seeks its second League Cup title, the Republic of Ireland international will watch at Wembley on Sunday. As the unmatched Alisson recovers, Kelleher’s week is crucial, as are many others.

Trent Alexander-Arnold will also watch on Sunday with his feet up after struggling with a knee injury since the first week of January. After a month out, the vice-captain played against Norwich, Arsenal, and Burnley before succumbing to a recurrence of the same ailment in the 2-0 FA Cup triumph at the Emirates on January 7.

Liverpool will bring Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Thiago, Szoboszlai, Diogo Jota, Joel Matip, whose season ended in December, and maybe Curtis Jones to Wembley without as many as seven first-team players.

Darwin Nunez’s weekend withdrawal as a precaution and Egypt-based allegations about Mohamed Salah, who made his Reds debut on Saturday, might lead to an injury-related collapse from a reeling fans.

The initial prognosis for Jota suggests he will return to the team before the end of the season, but the club is awaiting further tests after Christian Norgaard landed awkwardly on him during Saturday’s 4-1 win at Brentford.

The Portugal international is determined to play for his country at this summer’s European Championships after missing the 2022 World Cup due to a serious calf injury he sustained for the Reds in the 1-0 win over Manchester City in October.

Klopp is sad to lose the in-form Jota, but the fact that he may play some role in the run-in is a benefit after he left the ground on a stretcher and then the stadium on crutches at the weekend. Klopp, whose five-man strikeforce has helped preserve their Premier League lead in recent weeks, will miss the former Wolves forward, who has 10 goals since returning from a hamstring injury at Burnley on Boxing Day.

Liverpool have persevered without so many vital players this season, but as their injury woes worsen, their dreams of triumph fade. This week, those cleared for action must dig deep as the Wembley arches materialise.