What makes Liverpool’s start to the season even more remarkable is the fact that everything they have achieved so far has come in spite of an injury list that grows bigger by the week.
After cruising into the last 16 of the Europa League, taking over at the top of the Premier League, and booking their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a superb, gutsy victory at title rivals Arsenal, the Reds put one foot in the Carabao Cup final on Wednesday with a comeback 2-1 win at home to Fulham.
Jurgen Klopp was without 10 players for the semi-final first-leg clash, with Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo, who are away with Egypt and Japan at the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup respectively, joining eight injured first-team stars unavailable to the Reds boss.
Klopp, however, pulled off another managerial masterstroke, with his introduction of Darwin Nunez and match-winner Cody Gakpo swinging the tie in his side’s favour ahead of the concluding leg at Craven Cottage on January 24. But the German will still be pleased to now have some time off before that second match with Fulham, which comes three days after a Premier League trip to Bournemouth.
And, ahead of that encounter at the Vitality Stadium on January 21, here is a round-up of those players currently sidelined for Liverpool and their expected return dates.
Dominik Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai has missed the last two matches after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 4-2 home win over Newcastle United on New Year’s Day. The Hungary midfielder, though, is back running.
And earlier this week he suggested he will soon be back in full training. “I am still running without a ball, but soon I will be able to carefully try training with a ball,” he told Nemzeti Sport after being crowned Hungarian Sportsman of The Year for the second time. “I am getting better.
“Yes, it’s possible (that I will return against Bournemouth), but we don’t want to rush anything. I’d rather miss one more match, if that’s what it takes, so that I don’t injure the previous strain and can play continuously.”
Expected return date: Fulham (A), Wednesday, January 24
Trent Alexander-Arnold
It came as a bombshell when, just before his press conference to preview the semi-final first leg with Fulham, assistant manager Pep Lijnders confirmed that key man Trent Alexander-Arnold had become the club’s latest injury victim.
Lijnders said: “Trent hyperextended his knee during the last game (the 2-0 victory at Arsenal). So he has a little tear in the lateral ligament of his knee and he will need time to recover. He had a scan and he will be out for a few weeks, so let’s see after that.”
Expected return date: Early February
Andy Robertson
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s injury means the Reds are currently without both of their first-choice full-backs. However, Andy Robertson is set to make a timely return this month after being out since dislocating his shoulder on international duty with Scotland in October. The left-back was forced to undergo surgery and has therefore missed Liverpool’s rise to the top of the Premier League and Scotland’s successful Euro 2024 qualification bid.
Discussing Robertson’s condition earlier this week, Pep Lijnders said: “He’s almost at the three-month mark, so he will get checked by the surgeon. And if he does that scan and we see everything (so) that we can really progress him, he will go to Dubai for a week to do proper volume sessions, proper sessions, so that will be good for him. Then we see the three-month-mark scan and then we can see how quick he can go into contact again.”
Expected return date: Late January
Kostas Tsimikas
The Reds are currently operating without an out-and-out left-back after Kostas Tsimikas, who had been deputising for Andy Robertson, suffered a nasty injury in the 1-1 Premier League draw at home to Arsenal last month.
Following a challenge from Gunners winger Bukayo Saka, Tsimikas clattered into Jurgen Klopp on the touchline and landed awkwardly on his shoulder. It was clear immediately that the Greece international was in a lot of pain. And after the game, his manager confirmed the bad news. Klopp said: “He broke his collarbone at least. That’s really bad for us.”
Joe Gomez, who has made his name as a centre-back or right-back, is currently filling it at left-back. Although the Reds have recalled youngster Owen Beck from his loan spell at Dundee.
Pep Lijnders said of Tsimikas on Tuesday: “Same (as Robertson) for Kostas. Kostas is progressing really well, really quick. So hopefully both of them – Robbo and Kostas – will be back at the end of this month to train with the team.”
Expected return date: Late January
Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara hasn’t featured for Liverpool since their win over West Ham United last April. A hip issue has proven problematic for the midfielder, who underwent surgery in a bid to bring an end to the problem.
And it has been confirmed that Thiago will not train with the first team until next month.
Expected return date: Sometime in February
Stefan Bajcetic
Stefan Bajcetic has endured a frustrating period in his fledgling Reds career after a number of injury problems.
He enjoyed a strong debut campaign last season but saw it end prematurely after suffering a stress response in his adductor in March. Bajcetic returned in September with outings in the Carabao Cup and Europa League but his involvement against LASK Linz proved to be his last after suffering a calf issue.
Pep Lijnders said this week: “They (Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara) will not be ready for the end of this month. It will probably be going into the next month to train with us. But both (with) no complications, progressing.”
Expected return date: Sometime in February
Joel Matip
Joel Matip is recovering from surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The 32-year-old, who is the final months of his contract at Anfield, is likely to miss the rest of the season.
The centre-back was left stricken on the Anfield turf in the 70th minute of the dramatic Premier League 4-3 win over Fulham in December after an off-the-ball incident. “It’s an ACL, ruptured, so that’s what I unfortunately expected from the first second. Everything looked like that. Very unfortunate,” Jurgen Klopp said.
Expected return date: Unknown
Ben Doak
Ben Doak is out long-term with a serious knee injury sustained playing for the under-21s last month. Pep Lijnders recently said of Doak’s condition “That’s not a good one. He teared his lateral meniscus, which needs surgery.
“That one will take (a) longer time. He is young, he is a fit guy, he is a positive guy so for sure he will come back stronger, and we need him to come back with the same fire he has with the ball, how he was. He can take time and we will wait for him.”
Expected return date: Unknown
