Joel Matip might not be back until Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Manchester City next month, according to talkSPORT‘s Jason Cundy.
The Cameroonian has been missing since the 2-2 draw with Everton on October 17th, as he continues to be an injury-prone figure.
The respective absences of Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho have left Liverpool looking threadbare in defence, making Matip’s return to the fold even more crucial.
Joe Gomez is now the only experienced Reds centre-back who is fit, meaning Rhys Williams could potentially have to start at home to West Ham on Saturday.
It is still hoped that Matip will be available for that game, but Cundy claims that the trip to City on November 8th is the more likely return date:
"It is a concern baring in mind Van Dijk has been missing."
"You never know how bad it [the injury] is."
"Fabinho has come in and done a good job. It is going to be a miss."@JasonCundy05 says Fabinho's injury will be a huge concern for #LFC. 🔴 pic.twitter.com/1BkYy63g6C
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) October 28, 2020
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Should Cundy’s information be correct, this is a big worry for Liverpool, ahead of the clash with an in-form Hammers team.
While 19-year-old Rhys Williams is an option next to Gomez, his lack of experience means it could make more sense to play Jordan Henderson in defence, with Thiago hopefully coming back into the midfield.
More will become clearer in the coming days, but if Matip is ruled out for a further week, it will be extremely frustrating.
The 29-year-old is a good player when fit – he was one of the best players in the 2019 Champions League final – but his inability to stay injury-free makes him a real issue.
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