Reds sweating over fitness of Wijnaldum

Jurgen Klopp has another injury problem to deal with as his squad prepares to jet off to Qatar for the Club World Cup.

Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum appeared to sustain a hamstring injury in the 2-0 win over Watford which, after Leicester’s draw, saw the Reds’ lead at the top extended to 10 points.

The squad flew to Doha yesterday for Thursday’s (1.30am in Malaysia) first match of the tournament but Klopp could be without another senior player having lost defender

Dejan Lovren, also to a hamstring injury, in midweek.

Resources are already stretched thinly and with Fabinho (ankle) and Joel Matip (knee) ruled out of games in the Middle East, Klopp can illafford another absentee.

“With the Gini injury, Dejan three or four days ago, our squad is not getting bigger. That is not cool,” he said.

“But that is the same problem if we go to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal.”

Asked whether the Holland international could travel, Klopp added: “That is actually in the moment one of my smallest concerns – he could probably fly – but my problem is more what exactly the injury is and I don’t know that yet.

“It is a muscle thing and you never want that for a player. In these moments it immediately makes it more difficult.”

Wijnaldum’s injury was the only cloud on a day when Mohamed Salah took his tally to four goals in his last three matches, and 13 for the season, with a brilliant double.

It was not a straight-forward victory, unbeaten Liverpool’s 16th in 17 league matches this season. – The Independent