- Liverpool will be without one of their star players against Aston Villa due to a setback in his recovery.
- His continuous fitness issues make them a luxury player who can’t be relied upon by Klopp.
- The Reds are looking to continue their fine start to the season after last weekend’s dramatic victory at Newcastle.
Liverpool host Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend, but they have been dealt an injury blow in the lead-up to the game, according to an update from reliable journalist James Pearce.
Who is injured for Liverpool?
The Reds have enjoyed a good start to the 2023/24 season, picking up seven points from their opening three league matches, in what have been testing circumstances.
A 1-1 draw away to Chelsea on the opening weekend was a solid result, before having to battle their way to a 3-1 victory at home to Bournemouth, making do with 10 men after Alexis Mac Allister was sent off.
Last weekend’s stunning 2-1 win over Newcastle was even better, with Virgil van Dijk red-carded in the first half before Darwin Nunez came off the substitutes’ bench to turn the game on its head.
Next up for Jurgen Klopp’s side is Sunday’s visit of a strong-looking Villa side, who continue to go from strength to strength under Unai Emery.
They lost 5-1 at Newcastle in their first game in what was something of a shock result, but have since secured back-to-back victories against Everton and Burnley.
Ahead of the match, Liverpool know they are without both Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, who are suspended and injured respectively, while there have been question marks over Thiago’s involvement. He hasn’t played yet this season after having hip surgery in the summer and a key update has now emerged.
Is Thiago injured against Aston Villa?
Taking to Twitter on Friday, Pearce confirmed that Thiago will miss out against Villa on Sunday after suffering another setback in his recovery:
“Klopp says Thiago has had a setback since returning to training this week. Won’t feature v Villa.”
It is reaching the stage where Thiago simply has to be treated like a luxury player at Liverpool – someone who can be a great asset when available, but who Klopp must accept that he can’t rely on and will be sidelined most of the time.
The 32-year-old cannot seem to stay fit for an extended period of time, which is no help to anyone, and this latest setback is a cruel blow for the player himself, who is such a fantastic footballer when fit and firing.
Klopp has called his player “sensational” in the past, and he will be desperate to have him back after the international break.
With Thiago missing, it would be a surprise if Liverpool’s midfield changed from the aforementioned win away to Newcastle, with Wataru Endo given another chance to impress sitting in front of the defence, having found it tough at St James’ Park.
Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai should then continue as the two No 8s, with the former no doubt desperate to get into a groove in that position, having been asked to play as a deep-lying No 6 on occasion this season.
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are also good options should Klopp decide to rotate his squad, but with the international break coming next weekend, there is no reason not to play the strongest possible starting XI available.
