Jurgen Klopp insisted Liverpool do not need to use the January transfer window to avert a defensive injury crisis.
Dejan Lovren caused concern over a mounting injury list when he pulled up midway through Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday, with Joel Matip also sidelined.
Matip, normally Klopp’s first choice to partner Virgil van Dijk in the centre of defence, will be out for at least two weeks with a knee injury.
Midfielder Fabinho – who played at centre-half on occasion last season when other players were unavailable – is sidelined until at least the new year with ankle ligament damage.
An injury to Lovren would have left Van Dijk and Joe Gomez as Liverpool’s only fit centre-halves – but Klopp has confirmed that the Croatian will be fit for Tuesday’s final Champions League group game against Red Bull Salzburg.
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Asked whether Liverpool’s injury list would force him into the January transfer market, Klopp said: “How can you be short of centre halves when you have four centre halves plus Fabinho?
“Only Fabinho is injured, Matip is injured and Dejan Lovren had a problem, yes.
“We will not sign a centre half because of injuries – that is the world outside who thinks we are short and we have to do it – but afterwards we would have six centre halves and that wouldn’t make a lot of sense.
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“And you need quality. You can’t have just somebody [for the sake of it] – I am somebody, I am tall, not quick, but I look like a centre half at least.
“Yes I am absolutely concerned [about injuries], but Lovren is not injured. It was a little bit of cramp, and the right moment to take him off, but it is cool, everybody is fine.”
Liverpool need a draw away to Salzburg to be sure of qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League, while Napoli host Genk in the other game in Group E.
