Liverpool FC defender Joel Matip is expected to be out of action for months after suffering a knee injury during their 4-3 win over Fulham.
Matip sustained a knee ligament injury in the second half of Liverpool’s dramatic victory in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday. The Cameroonian centre-back is still awaiting the results of a scan, but Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has already said that they would be without Matip for a long time.
Liverpool are already dealing with a series of injuries and Matip’s absence is a further setback in their defence. The Reds are already without left-back Andy Robertson until the new year.
Matip, whose current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, has been in great form in the 2023-24 campaign, alongside Virgil van Dijk. The 32-year-old centre-back made his 150th appearance for Liverpool against Fulham and has kept Ibrahima Konate out of the starting XI in recent games. However, with Matip out, Konate is expected to partner Van Dijk in Liverpool’s central defence against Sheffield United on Wednesday.
At the pre-match conference, when Klopp was asked about Matip’s situation, the German boss replied: “When the doctor comes in and says: ‘It doesn’t look great’ … but we have to wait for the scans and the scan isn’t here yet.”
“You can imagine it doesn’t look great. It is never good news [when a doctor says that immediately]. I’ve never had that in all my years where someone says: ‘Oh my God, it’s completely wrong and there’s nothing wrong, he can play tomorrow.’ It doesn’t happen,” the Liverpool manager added.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will again be without their first-choice goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, at Bramall Lane. He was one of the two Liverpool players injured during their 1-1 draw at Manchester City last month, along with Diogo Jota.
“He [Jota] was running yesterday outside – on his birthday. And everything goes in the right direction, but nobody told me he would be back in team training today. No, there is still some time,” said Klopp.
Before the injury, Jota scored eight goals in 17 matches for the Reds in all competitions.
In regards to Alisson, Klopp said: “And with Ali the same. Obviously, Ali is closer but not available for tomorrow definitely.”
Liverpool have 31 points from 14 games and placed second in the Premier League table. They are five points behind leaders Arsenal, who have played a game more. A win against Sheffield would put the Reds just two points adrift of the Gunners.
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