Klopp confirms Joel Matip will be out for 3 weeks with adductor strain

Matip out for 3 weeks

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Joel Matip will miss the next three weeks of matches having suffered an adductor strain. Despite keeping a clean sheet against Newcastle in their Premier League tie against the Magpies last night, in Matip’s absence, Liverpool were unable to score and thus dropped further points in their chase for a successive title.

The Reds have been without several of their first team defensive squad with both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez suffering long-term knee injuries which has meant Brazilian midfielder Fabinho has been used as an unorthodox central defender.

With Matip out, Klopp has had to use a number of youth players including Rhys Williams in addition to Nathaniel Phillips. This is set to continue with Klopp confirming that the Cameroonian defender will be missing for the next few matches.

“The normal stuff with these kind of injuries, around three weeks,” Klopp said when asked to the duration of his defender’s injury.

Matip could then miss the top of the table clash with Manchester United on the 17th January in addition to league matches against Southampton and Burnley.

Not overly frustrated

Even though Liverpool were unable to break down a stubborn Newcastle side, who also threatened to punish the Reds for not taking their chances, Jurgen Klopp said that his side reacted well to the poor result against West Brom.

“Oh no, I’m not happy about the result, but I’m not overly frustrated. It’s football, and if you don’t use your chances then it’s difficult to win a game,” Klopp said.

“But you can have a draw with a bad performance or a draw with a good performance, and tonight was a draw with a good performance. We just didn’t use the chances, and that’s why I am OK with the game. If you keep creating, you will score. I know we will score again, that’s how it is. It’s not a problem in the moment.”

Mohamed Salah had a huge chance to give Liverpool the lead with a left-footed effort but curled it past the post.

Mohamed Salah is put through on goal but Karl Darlow makes a big save ❌ #NEWLIV pic.twitter.com/uYlyVaXxPz

— Goal (@goal) December 30, 2020

“We needed to show a reaction from the second half against West Brom because we lost the plot a little bit there, it looked in that second half like we were 1-0 down and not 1-0 up.”

“Tonight was a very good reaction to that, without getting the result. Everybody knows if we win 1-0 then everybody is over the moon, and we should have won the game at least 1-0. But we didn’t, and we have to accept that.”

Despite the draw against Newcastle, Liverpool remain top of the table but by only three points and having played a game more than Manchester United.

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Source: 101greatgoals.com