Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has disclosed that captain Jordan Henderson has suffered a hamstring injury and will be ruled out for up to three weeks. The midfielder’s injury will be a major blow to Liverpool’s chance to win their first Premier League title in 30 years after winning their last 17 Premier League matches.
Henderson suffered the injury when he was removed in the 80th minute of Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night. The midfielder walked off the pitch without the stretcher before heading down the tunnel for treatment.
In a press conference on Friday ahead of the Reds’ Premier League clash with West Ham on Monday, Klopp said that Henderson underwent a scan and showed that he suffered a hamstring. According to the German, Henderson will be not playing against the Hammers, Chelsea, and Bournemouth in the Premier League. Klopp added that the English international is also a doubt for the return leg against Atletico Madrid at Anfield in two weeks’ time.
“It could have been worse,” Klopp told reporters on Friday.
“How we all know, it was a hamstring thing, and we’ve heard of different hamstring injuries around the Premier League – Harry Kane, for example – it’s not that bad.
“But he will be out for, I think, three weeks or so, which is not cool. But, how we see it, we were still lucky.”
Klopp later provided an update on Xherdan Shaqiri, who has been sidelined since late last month with what was initially described as a ‘minor’ muscle issue.
The German said: “Not close to team training yet. We cannot put any time pressure on it. It’s a difficult one. Never a big one but always big enough to keep him out for two or three weeks.
Klopp added that he spoke to Sadio Mane over his shock half-time substitution during Liverpool’s midweek defeat to Atletico Madrid. The German withdrew the Senegal international for Divock Origi despite losing 1-0 before half-time on Tuesday night.
The Liverpool boss said he substituted Mane over Atletico’s theatrical attempts to allow the forward to receive a second yellow card during the final minutes of the first half. And the German is happy that his forward fully understands the reasoning.
He said: “I spoke with him this morning. I asked if he was surprised, and he said yes. He said he was not nervous at all and he could deal with it.
“It’s good that the player sees it that way but I saw it different. My honest opinion, I don’t think he had a chance.
“We need Sadio physical. Sadio doesn’t foul, but he has contact with his opponent. And both situations, I would say, were made up. It’s part of the game, I don’t like it too much.
“You cannot avoid situations, but the one they created a minute before half-time, with eight players around him pushing him in the ref’s direction, I didn’t believe we could finish the game with 11 if we kept him on the pitch.
“He was exceptional again, caused problems and I would have loved to have him on the pitch. He’s fine, completely fine. He’s rested, which is good again!”
