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Jurgen Klopp has stated that Dominik Szoboszlai’s hamstring injury may prevent him from playing in the Carabao Cup final. He also mentioned that he is unsure when the Liverpool midfielder will recover. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah may be able to make it to the game at Wembley on February 25th, despite his race against time to heal.
Klopp reassured fans that Thiago Alcantara’s recent injury will not mark the end of his time at Liverpool. The manager stated that he anticipates the Spanish player to return to the field before the end of the season.
However, both midfielders will be absent for Saturday’s match against Burnley, as well as Salah, who may resume training either next week or the following week.
Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley are currently suspended and on compassionate leave, respectively, and will not be available for Liverpool. According to Klopp, the team will give Conor Bradley the necessary time to mourn the loss of his father, Joe.
Szoboszlai missed last week’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal and Klopp said: “Dom is running outside at the moment in the winter rain. He is not ready for tomorrow [Saturday] and then we have to see. It is pretty much the same he had before, so not good he got that again. When you see the pictures, you have to take him out. We are fighting for days: is it Brentford [next Saturday], is it the final or after the final? I don’t know.”
The leading goal-scorer for Liverpool, Salah, has been absent from the team since New Year’s Day due to a hamstring injury he sustained while representing Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Klopp announced that the winger is making progress towards his return and stated, “He is moving in the right direction. We are hopeful, but uncertain, that he will be able to join training next week. He is currently going through all the necessary steps and the outlook is positive. It is possible that he will return either next week or the following week.”
Thiago returned to play for the first time in 10 months as a substitute at Arsenal, but he is now injured again. Klopp stated, “Thiago is not doing well. He looked great in training and we were excited to give him some playing time. However, he experienced a muscle issue. We are unsure of the severity at this point, so we will have to wait. This is unfortunate news for him, our team, and everyone involved.”
Bradley’s performance was exceptional in his most recent game, a 4-1 victory against Chelsea, prior to his father’s passing.
“The young boy will have as much time as he requires with his family,” stated Klopp. “I anticipate that he will return to training next week, but we will wait and see. If he does not feel prepared for that, it is also acceptable.”
Unfortunately, Liverpool is currently dealing with a sickness outbreak among their players. However, there is a positive update as Wataru Endo will be returning after competing in the Asian Cup. “Prior to his departure, he had a significant impact and provided excellent defense,” stated Klopp. He is optimistic that the Japan captain and Alexis Mac Allister will be able to play alongside each other.
“I don’t see any issue with Macca and Wataru playing together,” he stated.
Source: independent.co.uk