Liverpool will look to get their stuttering season back on track when they face Everton in the Merseyside derby on Monday night.
The Reds haven’t won a Premier League game in 2023 and face the Toffees on the back of a chastening 3-0 defeat to strugglers Wolves. Sean Dyche’s side meanwhile are looking to continue their resurgence having beat league leaders Arsenal last time out.
Jurgen Klopp has been dealt a major blow ahead of the clash however, with yet another key player ruled out for an extended period of time. Nevertheless, the German has doubled down on his plans to stay at Anfield. Here are the latest Liverpool stories from Mirror Football :
Thiago-ne for weeks
Just when Liverpool’s long injury list looked to be shortening, another of Klopp’s starters is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Speaking last week, the Kop boss confirmed that Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino were both closing in on returns from injury, while Virgil van Dijk had stepped up his rehab.
However, it has now emerged that midfielder Thiago Alcantara is expected to be out for a month with a hip flexor injury. Klopp revealed on Friday that the Spaniard had missed training, but didn’t reveal the extent of the injury.
But it has now been confirmed he could be set for an extended absence, which will almost certainly encompass both legs of the Champions League last-16 clash with Real Madrid.
Klopp’s seven-year itch
Klopp may have only spent seven years in his previous two jobs, but he insists his time at Liverpool isn’t coming to an end. At both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund he left after that period in charge and though things are tough again, he has no intention of calling it quits in the next few months,
“I understand when people say ‘oh seven years there (Mainz), seven years there (Dortmund), but that has nothing to do with it,” Klopp explained.
“This situation is totally different for different reasons. At Mainz it was a career step as well, at Dortmund I was really exhausted in that moment. But I am neither nor in this moment.”
The rebuild begins
If Klopp does stay in the Kop dugout, he will need to begin the exhaustive process of completely rebuilding his squad. And club chiefs are set to kick that off by hiring a new head of research.
Dr Ian Graham is the man currently in that position, but is set to leave at the end of the season. Graham is credited with helping the recruitment department find players like Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Andy Robertson.
And while the current incumbent works his notice period, Liverpool are busily scouring a pool of experts for his replacement. It is reported that the Reds hope to appoint an individual already working in the game and regarded as a leader in the football data field.
