Thiago Alcantara could miss Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Ajax on Wednesday, while Alisson Becker and Naby Keita are progressing well but remain out.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp described Thiago’s injury as a ‘proper knock’ after he was on the wrong end of a terrible challenge from Richarlison in the Merseyside derby, that resulted in a red card for the Brazil international in the closing stages.
The summer signing got through the rest of the game but is a doubt for the trip to Amsterdam, despite it not being a long-term issue.
‘Yes, he got a knock, a proper knock,’ Klopp told Liverpool’s official wesbite. ‘All the rest, we have to see. It’s not even close to being as serious [as Virgil van Dijk]. But will he be ready for Wednesday? I don’t know yet. We will see.’
Naby Keita had tested positive for Covid-19, but after a negative test is training again, while Alisson Becker is pushing for a return from a shoulder injury and Oxlade-Chamberlain is slowly moving back to fitness from a knee problem.
‘All good, really good,’ Klopp said of the three sidelined players. ‘Naby trained yesterday, so that’s very positive. Oxlade is obviously in a long-term rehab, but looks good and is in a good mood usually.
‘Ali looks very good. We have to see; catching balls and stuff like this is all possible. But we cannot rush it and will not rush it. Actually, it’s a common thing every day when I see Ali, I say: “How was it today?” He always with a big smile tells me of the slight improvements. Today I didn’t see him [yet], so I can’t wait to ask for his progress!
‘[On Keita] We are still learning, we are all learning about these kind of things when a boy is completely without symptoms, which Naby was.
‘He looked very good yesterday in training, to be honest. But I don’t know how he looks today, how he reacted – that’s much more important then. So, we will see.
‘In the moment, I would probably rather expect him to be involved but I don’t know it.’
Klopp is dealing with the much worse news of Virgil van Dijk being sidelined for the foreseeable future after tearing his ACL against Everton.
The Dutchman is set for at least five months out, with fellow centre-back Joel Matip struggling with a muscle issue but not expected to be out for the Champions League trip to Ajax.
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