THIAGO TORMENT
Star’s slow rehab keeps him out until new year
THE frustrating start to Thiago Alcantara’s Liverpool career will extend into the new year after Jurgen Klopp gave a gloomy assessment of the midfielder’s fitness.
Thiago, 29, who was signed in September to such acclaim, has only played 135 minutes since his £ 20million switch from Bayern Munich and has not been sighted since the Merseyside derby on October 17 following a challenge from Everton forward Richarlison.
Klopp had given ambiguous answers about Thiago when asked about him recently but on the eve of tonight’s crucial Champions League fixture against Ajax, the manager provided clarity about the slow nature of the Spain international’s rehabilitation.
Though Thiago has not required surgery and has not, according to Klopp, suffered any setbacks, the earliest Liverpool expect him to play again is in January. It is the latest in a long line of fitness issues that have plagued the champions’ season.
Thiago has missed the last nine matches and that figure will be doubled by January 2, as Liverpool embark on a sequence of games that includes an Anfield date with Premier League leaders Tottenham on December 16. It gives an indication of the extent of the damage Richarlison caused when he crashed into Thiago.
‘On the day when Thiago got injured, there was another bad injury,’ said Klopp, referring to the incident that ended Virgil van Dijk’s season. ‘After the scans, it was like one was really bad news and the other one was really good news as nothing was broken and nothing was ruptured.
‘But, as we realise now, it was still a massive impact on the knee. The problem is, in a situation like that, nothing is ruptured and nothing is broken and that means everybody thinks, “OK! You can go after a few days” but the impact on the leg was that big that it is still not OK.
‘It is not massive and he trains from time to time. Not in the moment because we just have to realise that we have to go a few further steps. I can’t say exactly when he will be fine, but it will take a few weeks still with Thiago.’
Klopp does, at least, still have the threat of his four flying attackers and he will unleash them all against Ajax, as Liverpool look to secure the point they need to reach the knockout phase and turn next week’s trip to Denmark, where they face Midtjylland, into a dead rubber.
It has been a draining period for Klopp and his players and they look like they need a performance and result to re-energise themselves and banish the frustrations they all felt following the contentious penalty that was awarded against them by VAR in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton.
On the issue of VAR, left back Andrew Robertson said: ‘It is affecting the players but I think it is affecting the whole game more. I used to love going to games, being in that moment and being able to celebrate a goal. I think that has been taken out of the game a wee bit.
‘You’re waiting two or three minutes sometimes to see if a goal is onside or offside. If it is that tight, leave it to whatever decision was made. A lot of people I have spoken to are not enjoying football as they once did. It is constantly in review and you’re still not getting the consistency we’re looking for.’