Ireland manager Stephen Kenny insists he was unaware Caoimhin Kelleher was injured while on international duty after Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp shed light on the ongoing absence of the goalkeeper.
Klopp claimed last week Kelleher complained of any injury after the UEFA Nations League matches in June but was assured the issue would clear up in time for pre-season, only for the problem to resurface once he reconvened with the Reds last month.
As a result, Kelleher missed the whole of the warm-up campaign and remains a few weeks away from a return, with Liverpool instead starting Adrian in the Community Shield after Alisson Becker was not risked due to his own injury concerns.
READ MORE: Liverpool supporters mock Arsenal after bizarre training ground clip from Amazon documentary emerges
READ MORE: Darwin Nunez can unleash Naby Keita as Liverpool drop Fabio Carvalho hint
Speaking last Friday, Klopp said: "Caoimh felt something after the international game, but everybody told him - the medical department there - it is fine and will be good after the holiday. He came back and in the first training (session) he felt it again. We checked it and it was not good."
But Ireland boss Kenny was taken aback by the comments from the Liverpool manager regarding Kelleher's fitness.
“It caught us by surprise, I must say,” said Kenny to the Belfast Telegraph. “I actually wasn’t aware that he was injured, to be honest with you.
"If he had have been injured, he would have been out of training or not training. I’d have comfortably played Mark Travers because he really excelled in the training camp and it looks like he has come up a notch again. If Caoimhín wasn’t right, I would have selected Mark with full confidence. That was a surprise to me to see that.”
READ NEXT:
- Jurgen Klopp spared transfer headache as new Liverpool forward option emerges
- 'I could have played' - Jurgen Klopp fumed after Liverpool defeat that 'made no sense' and led to £108m transfer swoop
- FSG complaints can't hide £240m truth about Liverpool owners
- 'What if' - Liverpool legend sends Man City warning with Premier League title prediction
- Virgil van Dijk's toughest Liverpool test could come from unlikely source looking to continue rapid rise
