Liverpool facing injury crisis as 8 first-team players set to miss Premier League clash against Crystal Palace - Reports
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has a huge injury crisis to deal with ahead of the Reds' clash against Crystal Palace on Monday, August 15. As per reports from The Liverpool Echo, Klopp is set to miss as many as eight players for the encounter at Anfield.
Liverpool have not had the best start to their Premier League season with newly promoted Fulham managing to secure a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage in their season opener.
Thiago Alcantara and Joe Matip both started for the Reds last week against Fulham but will likely miss the Palace game. Thiago was forced off just minutes into the second-half of the Fulham game with a hamstring strain.
Reports suggest that the Spanish international will miss around four weeks, which is a slight relief as initial reports claimed that he could miss up to six weeks.
Matip Liverpool’s injury crises increases:
➖Matip
➖Thiago
➖Jota
➖Konate
➖Tsimikas
➖Jones
➖Oxlade-Chamberlain
➖Ramsay
➖Kelleher
Matip is also set to miss the Palace game due to a groin issue. Apart from two fresh injury blows, Liverpool already have six long-term absentees due to injuries.
Backup goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher is still nursing a groin injury while Ibrahima Konate is out with a knee injury. Midfield duo Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones have both been ruled out due to hamstring and calf injuries, respectively.
Star forward Diego Jota has also not recovered from his hamstring injury, while summer signing Calvin Ramsay is also not fit.
However, Kostas Tsimikas and Naby Keita are set to be available for the game and both could make it to the bench against Crystal Palace.
Jurgen Klopp could name a much-changed Liverpool XI against Crystal Palace
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could name a much-changed starting XI against Crystal Palace on Monday.
Alisson Becker will surely retain his place between the sticks but there will certainly be one big change in his backline.
With Matip and Konate both injured, Joe Gomez is expected tp partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defense.
Liverpool are keen to hang on to Sepp van den Berg as cover following injuries to both Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate, despite interest from the Championship. [@MailSport - Simon Jones] https://t.co/f15nhyMC49
The duo of Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also likely to retain their spots in the two full-back positions. We will have to wait and see how Klopp reacts to Thiago's absence, but he could start either Harvey Elliott or Naby Keita.
Following the impact Darwin Nunez has made from the bench in his previous two outings, it will be a surprise if he is not named in the starting XI ahead of Roberto Firmino.