Joel Matip suffered a knee injury against Fulham, and according to Klopp, the damage is likely permanent. He told reporters that the injury was “not a short one.”
Matip has started every Liverpool matchday squad thus far this season, a streak of consistency that has not been characteristic of his Anfield tenure.
Matip, starting his fourth game in five outings, was harmless enough until he asked for medical attention. Ibrahima Konate was called upon without much delay.
After Matip pulled at his leg in apparent agony in the 68th minute, the two switched positions. The manager provided a quick report following the game.
Klopp clarified that his No. 32 has a knee injury and that it would “not be a short one.”
Joel, we suffered a defeat today. We certainly don’t have any images or a scan yet, but based on what we’ve heard and seen, it won’t be a quick one,” he stated. “Unfortunate, but we just need to get through this.”
As a result, it appears that Matip will be out for a while, leaving Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Jarell Quansah as Liverpool’s senior center backs.
He will probably choose Konate over Van Dijk as his first choice even though the Frenchman’s playing time has been controlled lately.
In addition, given his strong performances in the Europa League, there is a strong argument for Quansah to start in more important matches. During the press conference held after the game, Klopp acknowledged that Alexis Mac Allister had received a “knock,” which contributed to his substitution in the 65th minute.
The manager added that the goal scorer “looked like he was running out of gas,” suggesting that there is less worry about him. Matip is now absent along with Alisson (hamstring), Diogo Jota (hamstring), Thiago (hip), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), and Andy Robertson (shoulder).
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