Jurgen Klopp has been speaking about Liverpool’s absentees in France ahead of the Europa League clash against Toulouse on Thursday evening
Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, during tonight’s press conference at Stadium de Toulouse (Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
Jurgen Klopp faces a potential selection headache in midfield after both Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones were ruled out of Liverpool’s Europa League clash in Toulouse through injury.
The pair, along with ill skipper Virgil van Dijk, were not among the 23-man squad that travelled to France for the match, which takes place on Thursday evening with victory putting the Reds into the knockout stages with two games to spare.
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Gravenberch complained of a knee issue during training earlier this week while Jones has been absent with a hamstring injury since starting the League Cup win at Bournemouth last Wednesday.
Jones will also miss Sunday’s Premier League visit of Brentford, with Gravenberch a doubt. And with Alexis Mac Allister suspended and both Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic still out injured, Klopp faces being without as many as five midfielders for the weekend..
And the Reds boss said on Wednesday: “Ryan got a little niggle in the knee. Not major. He was running today already. There was no chance for this game but we hope there’s a chance for Brentford. He will definitely be back after the international break but that doesn’t help today.
“Curtis had a hamstring problem last week. Not massive, after the international break he will be back, before not. It was a low, low grade hamstring, he was in good shape, then had the red card, a lack of rhythm. He didn’t feel (against Bournemouth) when I took him off, but after the game he was lying there and felt something..”
Klopp added: “Virgil feels a little bit ill. I’m sure it will not be a big thing but we didn’t want to have him on the plane. Some others have it was well, I have it a little bit, but it’s not a problem. That’s why we left him at home. He should be all right for the weekend.”
Wataru Endo will now be an option for the weekend as well as on Thursday with Liverpool set to ring the changes against Toulouse. Caoimhin Kelleher will start in goal with Luke Chambers, Joel Matip, Jarell Quansah, Ben Doak, Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz among those pressing for a start.
Gravenberch has become an increasingly influential player for Liverpool following his deadline-day arrival from Bayern Munich, and had started four of the Reds’ previous five games. He has also scored in successive Europa League games against Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse at Anfield.
Jones, meanwhile, had cemented his place in the starting line-up until he was handed a three-match domestic ban following his contentious red card in the controversial 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in September.
