Liverpool can count themselves unfortunate on the injury front over the last 18 months.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were decimated by injury problems last season as Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all missed a majority of the year.
That trend seems to be showing no signs of letting up as the 2021/22 campaign has already been littered with fitness blows to key players.
As a host of Reds jetted off on international duty this week, initially in rich health, problems have already begun to surface.
Both Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota have missed the early part of their respective nation’s preparations and are doubtful for upcoming fixtures.
Jones, who was in superb form domestically, missed England Under 21’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia on Thursday night, as manager Lee Carsley explaining that the 20-year-old experienced “tightness in his groin.”
Meanwhile, Jota has missed training with Portugal this week due to “muscle problems” that could rule the forward out of a World Cup qualifier against Qatar.
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Klopp will hope that both injuries are nothing more than minor and that the absences were mere precautions as Alisson Becker and Fabinho are already set to miss out on their return due to quarantine restrictions.
A clean bill of health elsewhere could see the German with the strongest squad available for some time when the Reds head to Watford after the break.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago are both expected to be close to making a return to action following a muscle issue and a calf problem.
Elsewhere, highly regarded youngster Kaide Gordon has signed a first professional contract with the club – keeping the 17-year-old at Anfield for the long-term.
