Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has put injuries down to the Reds’ difficult start to the season, claiming that even when they have played well they ‘lose two players’ to new problems.
Defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend marked another setback for Liverpool, just days after a statement performance and win over Manchester City.
Overall, the Reds have won just four out of 11 Premier League games so far this season, although things have been much better in the Champions League since recovering from a heavy 4-1 defeat to SSC Napoli on matchday one last season.
Liverpool have been without key players at various times, with Thiago, Andrew Robertson, Jordan Henderson, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate among those to have missed games. Currently, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz and sidelined until at least after the World Cup break.
“It starts with injuries then the problem is that the players who have no injuries have to play too often and then the players that do have the injuries, they come back and play too early very often, that’s how it is,” Klopp said ahead of facing Ajax in the Champions League.
The German coach added that players needing time to rebuild fitness in the congested fixture schedule has also been a challenge to cope with.
“That is tricky, and obviously, those situations are not sorted overnight,” he said.
“We played really good a couple of times, but it is not like we are without problems for these games. We play a good game and then we lose two players out after the game. Wow and then another one not available for more than 20 minutes, so that’s not easy.”
