Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Thiago Alcantara will play no part in Liverpool’s friendly later today.
The Reds continue their pre-season preparations with a clash against Italian side Bologna.
But Thiago, who reported for duty last week after being granted an extended break for representing Spain at Euro 2020, has picked up a knock.
And the Liverpool boss has told the club’s official website that the Spaniard ‘struggles’ with the intensity of training right now, but added that it’s only a ‘slight issue’.
He said: “Thiago came here with a slight issue. He has three weeks off and the slight issue is still [there], which he was feeling. We don’t take any risks. He’s part of parts of training and in these little things he looks great, but it’s more the longer distances where he struggles slightly. We have to make sure that will be sorted and we are on it. I think he will be in next week, [at the] latest, in full training.”
Massive season
This is such a big season for Thiago at Liverpool and Reds fans will be hoping that it is genuinely just a minor problem.
It’s a major year because not only is there pressure on the former Bayern Munich midfielder to be a lot more consistent following a lukewarm first season on Merseyside, but Klopp will be without Gini Wijnaldum this time around.
Wijnaldum’s Bosman move to Paris Saint-Germain undeniably harms Liverpool’s midfield, given how consistent the Dutchman had been since joining in 2016.
And the onus is on the likes of Thiago to ensure that the club don’t suffer the effects of losing him too much.
Remember, Thiago has had his fair share of injuries too, which is why any talk of him being sidelined is worrisome, but hopefully for his – and Klopp’s – sake, it is a short-term issue.
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