Friday, March 29, 2024

Wijnaldum unlikely to travel to Qatar – Klopp

SoccerNews in English Premier League 14 Dec 2019

143 Views

Jurgen Klopp said Georginio Wijnaldum missing Liverpool’s Club World Cup bid was “the more likely scenario” after the midfielder sustained a hamstring injury against Watford.

Wijnaldum left the field after just under an hour of Liverpool’s 2-0 victory at Anfield, the fly in the ointment on an otherwise satisfactory afternoon’s work for the Premier League leaders.

Klopp said that injuries are his side’s major concern as they look to maintain their lead at the top of the table while negotiating a trip to Qatar during a packed December schedule.

“It looks like with each game you lose one player and that’s not too cool,” Klopp told BT Sport. “That’s our main problem.

“The fixtures are like they are, we know that, but losing players in this type of situation is not cool. We’ll deal with it but it makes life not easy.”

Asked whether Wijnaldum had a chance of travelling to Qatar with the squad on Sunday, Klopp said: “I have no idea. Today we’ll make an assessment and make a decision.

“If he cannot train and has to do rehab then he’ll stay here and that’s the more likely scenario at the moment.”

Despite having to cope without the injured Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren and Fabinho, Klopp dismissed the suggestion that fatigue is currently an issue for Liverpool.

The Reds’ performance against Watford was at times disjointed and only poor finishing prevented the Hornets from taking a first-half lead.

But Klopp praised his side’s response and the performance of goalkeeper Alisson, saying: “The most important thing you have to show in this period of the season is resilience. The boys were ready for a big fight.

“They [Watford] had a completely new set-up and did really well. They had their chances.

“Could the game have been easier for us? Of course, if we keep the ball smarter and move passes around.

“The boys are not tired but it’s intense to be constantly in charge of a game. We have to defend at some moments with passion instead of organisation because that was not always perfect, but when we did let them in Ali [Alisson] was there.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top