Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp provides Jordan Henderson injury update after 3-0 win over Ajax
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has provided an update on the knock club captain Jordan Henderson picked up during the Reds' 3-0 UEFA Champions League (UCL) win over Ajax. The win took Liverpool through to the knockout rounds of the European competition.
Henderson was involved in a clash of knees with Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez in the 19th minute of the encounter. However, he continued playing the match and even assisted Mohamed Salah's opener for his side.
Jordan Henderson is down and grasping his right knee. He knocked knees with an Ajax player.
Darwin Nunez scored the Reds' second goal four minutes after the restart, while Harvey Elliott completed the rout three minutes later in the 52nd minute at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Klopp was quizzed about Henderson's injury after the match. The German tactician clarified that the incident wasn't a big one and Henderson 'should be fine'.
"I think so. I was worried as well when I saw the situation because it was in front of me, but I think he thought he got knee on knee, so painful. A bruise, probably. Really painful but as far as I know now, nothing else and that should be fine," Klopp said (via Liverpool's official website).
Liverpool qualify for Champions League knockouts
With the win over Ajax, Liverpool qualified for the Champions League round of 16. They are currently second in the Group A table with 12 points in four matches. Their only defeat so far in the group stage has come against table-toppers Napoli.
The two top sides from the group will face off next in the competition. Jurgen Klopp's men will want to win that encounter at Anfield on Tuesday, November 1, to finish the group stages on a high.
Napoli and Liverpool progress from Group A. Who will go furthest?
#UCL https://t.co/9ukezaTwug
Speaking about Liverpool's qualification to the knockouts, Klopp said:
"Qualifying for the knockout stages, I think nobody ever should take for granted – it's really difficult. We did it again, which is a big achievement in itself.
"In the game, it started really, really tricky for us – and that makes the victory in the end even sweeter because Ajax are a really good team and we've beaten them twice.
"It was very important. Today, the first half an hour, maybe 35 minutes, they were the better team. They looked much more settled than us, but that might be normal because we changed again slightly and from our point of view we had to."