Full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold missed the Champions League game on Tuesday night due to a groin injury and he is also going to be an absentee for the Liverpool vs Man City game on Sunday.
Liverpool beat FC Porto 5-1 in midweek but TAA was not part of the matchday squad, after picking up an injury in training. And while updating on the right-back’s fitness, the German manager has admitted that Sunday’s mega clash is going to come too early for the England international.
“So the situation when you play Saturday and Tuesday, the players who start the game – which Trent obviously did – have on Sunday no training, they have recovery,” said Klopp, as quoted by The Mirror.
“On Monday, the only session we have together, we pretty much walk through the things.
“We have meetings and on the pitch we just show the difference between the opponents, so there was no intensity really in the session.
“But Trent in the middle of the session felt his adductor and in that area he has now a little injury.
“Obviously when you have something with your muscle, it’s not likely for Sunday – no muscle injury heals that quick.
📈 Top rated players in the Premier League this season:
🥇 Michail Antonio – 7.96
🥈 Mohamed Salah – 7.88
🥉 Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7.81 pic.twitter.com/DsF1zRZHsD— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) September 27, 2021
“After that, it’s internationals. I don’t want to make the decision for him but what I heard, I don’t think it will be possible for him to be with the national team.
“But the other people (England’s medical staff) have to decide that in the end but hopefully after that he will be ready again, but we don’t know exactly.”
Liverpool vs Man City: Who is going to replace TAA at right-back?
Trent Alexander-Arnold saw his form dip during the second half of the previous season but the England international has successfully managed to overcome that phase and had made a great start to the 21/22 campaign.
This fresh injury will undoubtedly be a halt in his personal progress but Jurgen Klopp will have major issues in naming a replacement on Sunday.
It’s Manchester City we are talking about so any other makeshift right-back will be carved open by Pep Guardiola’s men.
Neco Williams is the logical replacement for TAA on Sunday but given that Jack Grealish is going to operate in that area, it will not be a total surprise if Jurgen Klopp chooses to put the more experienced James Milner in the right-back role.
