Liverpool will be without Thiago Alcantara when they host Burnley in the Premier League this afternoon as the squad also juggle a flu outbreak.
The midfielder made his first appearance of the season in the defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, coming off the bench in the 85th minute to mark his return from a hip injury.
However, Thiago suffered a muscle issue in that cameo and is expected to face another spell on the sidelines, in a frustrating blow for him and Liverpool.
“Thiago is not cool,” said manager Jurgen Klopp on Friday. “He showed a lot of things on LFCTV and looked outstanding, so we took him, let him play for a few minutes. It’s a muscle issue, we don’t know the extent yet but it’s not cool. Not good news for him or us.
It’s not a big, big injury but not good at the moment.”
He added: “We are fighting with a little bit of flu thing in the squad, so we have to see who in the end is available, which is not cool.”
Liverpool are also without Dominik Szoboszlai after the midfielder missing the trip to face the Gunners with a hamstring problem.
Wataru Endo’s return from the Asian Cup is therefore a timely one, and the 31-year-old could come straight into the side for his first Liverpool appearance since New Year’s Day.
Ibrahima Konate is suspended, after his late red card against Arsenal, while Joe Gomez is believed to be battling illness ahead of Burnley’s visit to Anfield.
It means Andy Robertson could earn his first start since returning from a shoulder injury, having made three appearances off the bench in recent weeks, and Jarell Quansah is in contention to partner Virgil van Dijk.
Mohamed Salah is not expected to return from his hamstring issue, but Darwin Nunez could come back into the starting lineup, with Cody Gakpo likely the man to drop out.
Klopp has insisted he will not rush Conor Bradley back into action if the young defender is not ready to play following his father’s funeral.
