The Reds have had a slow start to the new Premier League season and have already suffered a significant injury blow after Thiago was forced out of action against Fulham early.
Liverpool’s Premier League season did not begin as many expected, as the Reds were held to a 2-2 draw away at newly promoted Fulham.
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s brace meant the Reds had to come from behind twice to leave west London with at least a point. Although it is still early in the season, Jurgen Klopp would have been disappointed with his team’s performance, especially given that the majority of their opponents started the season with a win.
Mirror Football has compiled a list of notable Liverpool headlines and talking points as the Reds look to rebound from their underwhelming performance at Craven Cottage as soon as possible.
Thiago’s injury woes
Thiago is facing a lengthy, injury-enforced layoff after sustaining a hamstring strain against Fulham, as has been the case for the Spaniard since moving to Merseyside from Munich in 2020.
It has been reported that he has undergone scans to determine the severity of the injury situation, which is worse than expected, with a six-week recovery time.
Things get worse for both Liverpool and Thiago himself, as the injury means he will be unavailable for some huge contests that could set the tone for the Reds’ campaign.
Following the latest update on Thiago’s fitness, Liverpool is now facing an injury crisis just one game into the new season.
The Reds have already ruled out three midfielders in Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita, and Thiago adds to that list so early in the season.
As a result, speculation is rife as to whether Klopp will dip back into the transfer market to rectify the issues presented by the sudden influx of injuries.
“We will see. A transfer must make sense now and in the long term. We have eight midfielders. We still have enough midfielders,” the Reds boss explained. “It’s not that we lack midfielders, it’s just some of them are injured.”
Jamie O’Hara, a former Tottenham Hotspur player, has been harshly critical of the Reds’ manager.
Klopp sparked outrage and ridicule when he complained that the Craven Cottage turf was “too dry” after their 1-1 draw with Fulham last weekend.
The comments irritated ex-Cottager O’Hara, who told talkSPORT. “He loves an excuse, Jurgen, and good on him because he gets away with it a lot.” I’ve played for Fulham at Craven Cottage, and that pitch is absolutely beautiful; it’s one of the best pitches you’ll ever play on.
“The grass is always perfect; they always get it right.” They constantly water the pitch before the game! At halftime, they even water the pitch! It’ll dry quickly because it’s hot, but come on… Fulham believed in themselves and went out to play well.
“They pursued it. I don’t think Liverpool was expecting it; they were sluggish as if they were still recovering from last season and weren’t at the races. Fulham took advantage of this. It’s nonsense to come out and make excuses for the pitch.”
