Thiago sustained a calf issue during last weekend’s Premier League win over Crystal Palace at Anfield and is set to miss Saturday’s trip to Brentford.
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes Thiago Alcantara might return to action only after the forthcoming international break. The Spaniard sustained a calf issue during last weekend’s Premier League win over Crystal Palace at Anfield and is set to miss Saturday’s trip to Brentford. It also means that Thiago is likely to be ruled out of the subsequent fixtures with FC Porto and Manchester City. Klopp told in his pre-match press conference, “It’s not 100 per cent clear when Thiago will be back. It’s a muscle in the calf issue, so after the international break probably – I don’t think there’s anything earlier possible. We will have to see.”
The Reds are also continuing to monitor the foot issue Naby Keita suffered in the first half of the Carabao Cup match at Norwich City on Tuesday. Jurgen Klopp said, “[It’s] nothing really serious, but it keeps him out of the next game for sure – and maybe a little bit longer, we have to see. It’s nothing serious but it’s obviously painful and we have to see how we can deal with it. Of course, it’s not cool when players have had a good pre-season, could play a lot of games and now are out. That happens throughout a season and hopefully when they come back then that’s it and they can play the rest of the season, that would be extremely helpful.”
Jurgen Klopp only had good words to describe their Saturday’s Premier League opponent Brentford. The Bees are back in the top flight for the first time since 1947 and collected eight points from their opening five matches in the league. Asked about Brentford’s journey in recent years, Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com: “I really admire these kind of projects, if you want. They have a really special way of recruiting players, they are brave in pretty much all the things they do.”
“They had tough things to overcome; being close and not getting promoted, obviously. Then being on the top, then had to go to the play-offs anyway, but made their way through. That already strengthens your character, let me say it like this. Now they are an incredibly brave team, to be honest. Their work against the ball, the press they play, is really good. So it will really be a tough one.
“High intensity, pressing like crazy, have a playing build-up but if the other team presses then they are not shy to go a bit more direct. In all positions, really exciting players. In the back three is probably the tallest in Europe – all three, massive players. All these kind of things.
“So, yeah, it’s a challenge. They are in a new stadium so they enjoy that as well. It’s an interesting thing and I really respect that a lot, but of course we go there for different reasons, not to tell them how much we like what they do. No, we want to get the points but we know it will be a tough one.”
