Liverpool head into the weekend on the back of two consecutive disappointing results, dropping points at home to West Brom and – most recently – away to Newcastle. With the Premier League champions set for a tricky test away to Southampton, Klopp has revealed an injury blow that has only made things worse.
That man is none other than Joel Matip, the other reliable center-back at Anfield. The Cameroonian was absent in Tuesday's trip to St. James' Park due to an adductor strain, with the manager later revealing (via the club's official website) that the 29-year-old will be out for three weeks. While the Merseyside giants were able to protect their goal in his absence, registering a clean sheet over the midweek, his absence is a huge concern given their upcoming fixtures.
First of all is their Monday trip to Southampton. The Saints are ninth in the table but are currently level on points with the likes of Chelsea, Spurs, and Man City while outscoring the Citizens this season. As a result, Hasenhüttl's side are not ones to underestimate.
However, the concern is not simply the midweek visit to St. Mary's Stadium. Klopp's men will be playing three games in the span of two weeks starting from January 4, which isn't a lot, but those three fixtures will all be tricky.
Straight after Monday's showdown with Ings and Co is an FA Cup 3rd round clash with Aston Villa, the team that beat them 7-2 in the league. After that is the January 17 battle vs Man United, Liverpool's bitter and closest rivals in the title race. This means Klopp could be without his two preferred center-backs for the Red Devils fixture, having lost Virgil Van Dijk to a long-term injury early on in the season.
