Liverpool is anticipating that Joël Matip will not be able to play for a few months due to a knee ligament injury he suffered during their win against Fulham on Sunday.
Matip sustained an injury in the latter half of the exciting 4-3 win and is currently waiting for the scan results. Unfortunately, Jürgen Klopp accepts that the skilled center-back will be out for a significant amount of time, adding to the challenges faced by a defense already missing Andy Robertson until next year.
32-year-old Matip, whose contract expires at the end of the season, has been performing well alongside Virgil van Dijk. He recently reached his 150th Premier League appearance for Liverpool against Fulham. Ibrahima Konaté, who has been unable to play due to Matip’s strong performances, is expected to replace him in the upcoming match against Sheffield United on Wednesday.
When questioned about the possibility of Matip being out for a long period of time, Klopp responded by saying that the doctor’s initial assessment was not positive. However, they are still waiting for the scan results to confirm the extent of the injury.
It’s not a pleasant sight. It’s never a positive sign when a doctor delivers such news right away. In all my experience, I’ve never had a doctor say, “It’s all a mistake, he can play tomorrow.” That just doesn’t happen.
Alisson, Liverpool’s primary goalkeeper, will not be available for their game against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Chris Wilder will return as the manager of Sheffield United, replacing Paul Heckingbottom who was let go on Tuesday. Klopp made a joke about Liverpool having to reconsider their analysis due to the first managerial change of the Premier League season. He plans to review Wilder’s tactics from his previous tenure as manager before facing them on Wednesday.
“It has been challenging with all of these situations,” the manager of Liverpool expressed. “However, I am familiar with Wilder’s tactics. This remains in my thoughts. It’s the same strategy, but applied in a different way and with different players. During that period, they were extremely organized and many were amazed, thinking ‘What are they? Wingers?’ It was thrilling.”
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“We must ensure their response to our actions, and if we perform well, it will challenge them. Chris will receive a warm welcome, but the only way to ease the tension is through our own performance. I am certain they will give it their all, just as I am certain we will too.”
Source: theguardian.com
