KLOPP SUFFERS KEEPER SETBACK
JURGEN KLOPP’S plans for the new season have been thrown into disarray after goalkeeper Loris Karius was ruled out for two months with a broken hand. The Germany Under 21 international cost Liverpool £5million when he arrived from Mainz in June. Klopp had intended to start him between the posts on the opening weekend at Arsenal. But he sustained the injury in the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea on Wednesday in Pasadena following a collision with Dejan Lovren. Karius will have to have an operation to correct the damage after being examined back at Liverpool’s Palo Alto training base on Thursday. He flew home from the United States last night and will have surgery in the next 72 hours. It is anticipated that Karius will not be able to make his competitive debut until the middle of October and he will miss the games, among others, against Arsenal, Leicester, Chelsea, Tottenham and most likely Manchester United. Simon Mignolet will be given the opportunity to make the place his own, and Alex Manninger, the 39-year-old former Arsenal keeper, will be his back-up. This has been a difficult tour for Klopp, overshadowed by the decision to send Mamadou Sakho home because of his indiscipline, while there have been other injury concerns, most notably an ankle problem for central defender Joel Matip. Klopp also has to resolve Mario Balotelli’s future, with Ajax favourites to sign him. The only other enquiry has been from Besiktas. Balotelli was told at the start of this month that he was free to find another club and he has been training with the Under 21s.