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Jurgen Klopp admitted that Fabinho’s injury was “exactly the last thing we needed” as Liverpool’s defensive woes worsened in their win over Midtjylland.
Fabinho has been playing defense in the absence of Virgil van Dijk, but gave Klopp another defensive scare when he had to be substituted after half an hour at Anfield with what the manager admitted appeared to be a hamstring injury. , and you are waiting to be fully diagnosed. after a scan Wednesday morning.
Klopp said BT sport: “It’s exactly the last thing we needed. What can I say? I know he felt his hamstring, that’s not good, he didn’t feel it that much, he said he could have kept playing but no more sprints so obviously it doesn’t help on that one position.
“We’ll see, we have to do a scan and then we’ll know more, but that’s not good, of course.”
Fabinho had started the game with Joe Gomez, before receiving treatment on the field and being replaced by 19-year-old Rhys Williams, who spent last season on loan with the sixth division Kidderminster Harriers, for the final hour.
A dismissal of Fabinho would compound Liverpool’s injury problems as Van Dijk undergoes surgery on the cruciate ligament in the knee he suffered in a challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford earlier this month.
Van Dijk could miss the rest of the season, although Klopp and the club have been reluctant to set a timetable for his recovery.
Fabinho was forced to be injured in the first half after lifting the ball
In his post-match press conference, Klopp was also coy about setting a return date for Joel Matip, who has been absent through injury since the Merseyside derby.
“We have to see what it is like,” he said. “If it was just one game, the last game of the season, I think we could make one or the other fit a game, but then we play three days later again, but we play three days later again and we need players again.
“So the players who are now injured, we can’t use them on the first day of being fit again, or not being injured anymore.”
Klopp: Between three youngsters to play West Ham
Jurgen Klopp congratulated Rhys Williams after the youngster’s strong performance in their 2-0 win over Midtjylland
More likely to face West Ham, Klopp seemed to admit, would be one of 17-year-old Williams, Nathaniel Phillips, or Billy Koumetio, who only signed his first professional contract with Liverpool in August and has only made one solo appearance for the club. . above the U18 level.
He said: “[Williams] He did very well. Everything was calm around him. We will try to do that too. He’s talented, he plays for England Under 20s, he’s 19 years old and I didn’t say anything newsworthy when I said that he had more minutes in the Champions League than in the Premier League, that he hasn’t played in the Premier League yet but has two Champions League. League appearances now. He also won both games, which is quite exceptional.
“He did well, everything looks promising, and apart from Rhys, we have Nathaniel Phillips. We thought he could make a transfer to another club so that he is not on the Champions League squad, which is strange, but also a middle middle “. .
“Club [Koumetio]I don’t know if tomorrow he will be able to train or not, but he will train again, so we have very young and inexperienced alternatives and for now it seems that we have to choose one of them.
“I don’t know yet, but to be really clear and positive, Rhys was not in a situation tonight as a problem for us, he played a very good game.”
Who could replace Van Dijk, Fabinho?
Nathaniel Phillips, Rhys Williams and Sepp van den Berg could be central options for Liverpool in the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho
Virgil van Dijk’s long-term injury has given Jurgen Klopp plenty to ponder in terms of his picks at center back in the coming weeks, and with Fabinho also facing Midtjylland, he may have to turn to youth.
Rhys Williams, Sepp van den Berg, Nathaniel Phillips and Billy Koumetio are among Liverpool’s top young center-backs, and here we assess their capabilities.
Read the function here
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