Ailing Liverpool in transfer mode
Juergen Klopp has indicated he might have to enter the transfer market to buy a defender as Liverpool’s injury crisis grows.
Klopp faces the prospect of having no fit centerbacks for Friday’s FA Cup third-round trip to Exeter.
Dejan Lovren limped off during the first half of Tuesday’s 1-0 League Cup semifinal first-leg victory at Stoke after pulling a hamstring.
Martin Skrtel is already ruled out until February with a similar injury, while Mamadou Sakho missed the match at Britannia Stadium with a knee problem.
Kolo Toure, who came in for Sakho against Stoke, was limping with cramp toward the end, and Klopp is unsure if he will be fit for Friday’s game. And teenager Joe Gomez is a long-term casualty with a serious knee ligament injury sustained in October.
“In this moment with no centerback fit, I would say it is a situation where we have to think about going into the transfer market,” said Klopp.
“Two weeks ago we had three centerbacks, and that’s a good situation. At the start of the season, we had five. Now we have none.
“We now have three injured centerbacks and the only fit one got a cramp near the end, so that was not the funniest thing in the world.
“I don’t know if any of our central defenders have a chance of being fit. Sakho, I don’t think so. Kolo said it’s only a cramp, but I don’t know about him either.”
Liverpool suffered further injury problems at Britannia Stadium when playmaker Philippe Coutinho limped off with a hamstring problem during the first half.
Klopp now has 11 members of his senior squad unavailable, having seen it suffer 24 separate injuries between them since he took charge at Anfield in October.
The Liverpool manager said the injury troubles overshadowed what he felt was a much better performance from his players following the disappointing display it produced in losing 2-0 at West Ham in the Premier League last Saturday.
“It is a little bit of a strange feeling because on the one side we have won this game and played well. The fight was great,” said Klopp.
“I was really angry last week, but now I’m proud because we have reacted so well in such a difficult game in all parts.”
Liverpool is favored to secure a place in the final at Wembley when Stoke visits Anfield for the second leg on Jan 26.
But Stoke manager Mark Hughes feels his team is still very much in the hunt, despite its first-leg defeat.
“Liverpool had the benefit of the goal, and the first goal in semifinals is key,” said Hughes.
“As a consequence of that goal they could drop deeper and protect it.
“We dominated the second half but we didn’t get that break.
“The key was that we didn’t concede another and that was a danger. We are still in the tie.
“We have the capability to get back into it. There are pressures when you are the home side, so you can use that as the visiting side. The main thing is that we are still in it.”